Seas of Change
by KanaRenee
Summary: While returning from an overseas trip, the ship Juvia is on is attacked by pirates, and she is taken hostage. However, the pirates are not what they appear and Captain Gray is just as enticing as he is insufferably mysterious. What is Juvia to do? [GRUVIA] [AU] [MATURE CONTENT]
1. Red Sky at Morning

**Author's Note:** This is an AU Pirate story. There will be some liberties taken in order to fit the characters to the story, but I am going to do my best to keep them minimal so as not to take away from the story as a whole. I hope you like it, Maria!

**Seas of Change**

_**Chapter 1: Red Sky at Morning**_

Fog sat over the ocean, concealing the red and pinks of the sunrise in a salty mist. Juvia continued leaning on the ledge of the ship, eyes closed as she focused on the feel of early morning ocean spray along her skin. The creaking of the ship and lapping of waves were comforting sounds in the stillness. Most of the crew remained asleep in the cabins except for the cooks who bustled below deck to prepare breakfast for shiphands and guests.

Her early morning routine was a genuine break from the hustle and bustle of a passenger ship. Once the crew awoke, the noise would not stop until well after dark. Everyone on the ship had a different destination, all of them strangers and yet somehow a moving community of equals on their own island amongst the waves. The same troubles that plagued neighbors on land were the same out at sea, except in the mornings when it was still too early and chill for most of the elite aboard to venture from the warmth of their coal heated chambers.

"Pardon me, miss." A chambermaid stopped beside her, holding out a shawl. "Aren't you chilled? It's too early for someone the likes of you to be out on the deck, milady."

She shook her head. "Thank you, but Juvia feels best at this time. It's peaceful."

"I wouldn't want you to catch cold."

The woman pushed the shawl toward her once more, and out of kindness Juvia took hold of it with a nod. The shawl remained in her grip as she glanced toward what would have been the horizon, though she made no motion to put it on.

"Isn't there a saying about foggy mornings that light up the red of a sunset?" Juvia asked. "A sailor's principle."

"Red sky at night, sailor's delight. Red sky at morning, sailor's warning." The chambermaid responded. "Though we are sailing the safest sea route known to man, I doubt it holds any weight. Will you be off at the next stop, milady?"

She nodded. "Yes. Juvia has made this trip before, just not so close to winter."

"You have not seen winter at sea." The chambermaid responded, a hand positioned on her wide hip. "The decks become icy and we have to wear special boots just to make it from the kitchen to the cabins! The masts will cling to the posts, and the icebergs…"

"Icebergs?"

The woman glanced behind her, then to the opposite side of the ship before she lifted her hand. "There, milady."

Juvia turned her attention to the starboard side, catching a glimpse of what appeared to be a mound of creamy mashed potatoes, red gravy and butter filtered over top far out to sea. The sun gleamed off the top of the ice, giving a soft glow to what would have otherwise been a jagged danger. It floated silently a few hundred yards off, but the idea of one so close still caused her heart to leap. Juvia walked across the deck to the opposite side of the ship, wind flipping the loose tresses of her hair as she leaned over the banister, glancing in each direction.

She had heard stories of sailors seemingly sailing a safe distance, only to discover below deck they had scraped invisible edges of ice that torn through the hull, the way a ship would fill to one end first, tilt up, and break in half before sinking to the bottom of the ocean. Juvia was not afraid of the water or the cold, but to be stranded in the middle of the ocean with no means of reaching land or shelter… there were few other things she could imagine that would be as lonely a way to die.

Her true fear was loneliness. Juvia had made this trip on this same ship many times before, and always ended up back where she was headed now—at the orphanage, awaiting the next adoption and child she was to escort. The orphanage was the same in which she grew up and never found a home, but Juvia had taken it upon herself to ensure the other children had their chance at a happy life with a loving family. The adoption rates had gone up extraordinarily since she began her voyages in search of needing families; she had convinced herself the smiles of each child were enough to make up for what she had never been able to have.

"Don't fret so." The chambermaid met her at the side. "Captain will let nothing happen to his ship. We are not near the ice fields."

"The crows nest can see, despite the fog?"

"An iceberg is a hard to miss." The maid responded. She set a hand on Juvia's shoulder and pushed her back toward the cabins. "Rest for a bit, will you?"

"But Miss—"

"My name is Imelda, and compared to you, I am no miss. I'll be sure to send someone with extra coals for your room."

* * *

Juvia smoothed the edges of her purple gown, admiring herself in the full length molded mirror attached to the back of the cabin door. The fancy dinners onboard were not her usual foray, but tonight the crew promised dolphin and whale watching at sunset from the main deck and she did not want to miss it. Turning her head, Juvia inspected that each gold pin holding her sapphire hair up was in place and tight, protruding only slightly to show the pearls attached to each end.

Satisfied that she was dressed as close to appropriately as possible, she left the cabin and proceeded to the main deck. This time she was glad to have brought along a shawl; the air had chilled considerably with the onset of twilight, though the deck was packed with travelers and seamen. She squeezed her way along the pathway to a mostly open table, gestured minutely and sat once she was given the permission of the other guests. Candles lit the surface of the deck, lanterns up high on the mast poles and upper deck, contrasting sharply with the plum colored starlight on the east.

"Have you seen any dolphins yet?" Juvia asked the others at her table. "Juvia hopes we haven't missed them."

The gentleman shook his head, caught a bit off guard at her speech pattern. "The staff assured us we will get our sights worth for the trouble of the chill—they may not surface until after sunset."

The woman lifted a glass of wine to her lips, nodding in agreement with who Juvia could only assume was her husband. The warmth of the drink seemed to sooth any frustration the lady would have had about the cold; Juvia found her own cup being filled not long after by a cabin boy nearly five inches too short. He refused Juvia's offer to pour her own, and bowed regally before walking away.

"Are you traveling alone?" the woman asked, motioning for Juvia to lift her own glass and partake of the fermented drink.

"Juvia is." Juvia responded, lifting her glass in politeness. "Juvia know it is unusual, but she work for an orphanage and is on her way back from chaperoning a child to their new family."

"How noble." She responded, a light smile flowing over her face. Whether it was because she had warmed to the idea of a woman traveling alone or the onset of drink, Juvia could not tell. "I imagine that is quite lonely."

_It is_, Juvia wanted to say. Instead she titled her head, took a sip of wine, and responded, "Juvia has been doing it for so long, it feels natural and right; though she does miss the children when they go."

"Have you no husband?" the man inquired, his free hand falling to the arm of the woman at his side.

"Juvia is unmarried, sir." She responded.

He frowned. "Have you thought of changing your speech pattern? It is a little off putting, that may help."

Her smile wavered a bit, but the insult was something she was used to. "Juvia is sorry, she has always spoken this way."

"Ignore him." The woman said, swatting her husband's hand away. "Men do not understand good company when they see it, speech patterns or not."

Before Juvia could respond, kitchen staff proceeded onto the deck with plates of decadent food. Large roasted chickens, plum sauce, piles of honey rosemary roasted carrots and loaves of sweetened rolls were presented to each guest, piled high on their plates with a bowl of broth for dipping and palate cleanse. Glasses of wine were replaced with warm ale for those who requested it, and the band on the top deck began playing enjoyable light tunes to entertain the guests. Juvia pulled her cloth napkin down to her lap before lifting a fork to begin eating.

"There!"

A loud splash interrupted the dinner party, followed by a rocking of the ship. Juvia turned her attention in the direction of the splash, spying a whale flipping out of the water and landing back first back into the ocean. Juvia had always known whale were large creatures, but this particular one was a behemoth; drawings and size comparisons in notebooks and almanacs could not capture the grandeur of seeing something so awe-inspiring in its natural space. The whale was met with two others, the pod dwarfing the size of their ship.

With childlike enthusiasm, Juvia rushed from her table to the edge of the ship for a closer look. The whales were circling, lifting slowly to take breath before diving under once more, reappear several yards away in leaping grace. She watched their silhouettes below the unusual calm of the water, gliding with speed unusual for a creature of their size. They twirled about one another before coming to a quick halt.

The muted noises of their wailing bubbled from below the surface before they turned, taking quick breath together before diving under the ship. It rocked roughly with the wave and lifting of the whales, and Juvia held tight as her feet lost their balance. Plates and tables shifted and crashed to the floor, guests falling into an uproar. The shouts of the crew were loud, speaking of the rudder and the anchor, pulling to port, getting eyes in the crows nest—Juvia looped her arm about the banister to pull her body up as the ship righted once more.

The sun had set quickly, only a small sliver of pink showing where it had once been, the twilight waning into night; the bustle of the guests quickly turned from panic to anger, stating the danger they had been put in for the show of whales. Chambermaids and deckhands tried to calm the guests, and Juvia watched on silently. The creatures were not at fault, and neither was the ships crew; nature was unpredictable.

"Pirates!"

The warning came from high on the main mast, a dead silence falling over the people on the ship. Juvia could feel the ship take a sharp turn in the same direction as the whales, eyes flowing widely along the horizon. There were no ships she could see in the dark, but by the reactions of the crew she knew something was wrong.

_ Red sky in morning, sailor's warning._

"Miss!" it was Imelda, taking strong hold of Juvia's arm. "It isn't safe on deck, you must go below!"

Just Imelda turned to take Juvia toward the cabins, the ship lurched with a loud crack; two of the sails crashed through the deck to the second floor, taking with it tables, food and a few guests. The woman tugged Juvia below the ship's edging and scrollwork, covering her head with an emptied tin bowl meant for salad.

"Imelda-san…?" Juvia inquired, her voice shaking only slightly with the pounding in her chest.

Cannon balls burst overhead, crashing near the ship and causing water to flow up over the railing and onto the guests still struggling to get to safe ground and life boats. Imelda pushed Juvia onto her hands and knees, directing her to crawl to the stairwell that led to the upper deck. Juvia did as commanded, hands slipping in the white wash and dress sagging and gaining weight with each motion. They crawled behind the stairwell, safe behind the thick wood as bombs and debris flew through the majestic edgings of the ship.

Guests and crew alike fell from the edges as water bubbled from the hole in the center of the deck, washing up with it belongings and bodies of those who had fallen with the initial attack.

The chambermaid handed Juvia a pan. "You keep these on you, miss. You will need something to protect you."

"I can take care of myself, shouldn't we be fighting instead of hiding?"

"The best hope we have now, milady, is that the ship will sink faster than they can get to us and we have managed to get on a life boat." She answered shortly. "Pirates do not care what the ship has, so long as it has something of value—rich guests are of value."

"I'm not going to sit back here while people get hurt!"

Juvia's outburst caught Imelda off guard, the pair kneeling in a standstill of wills. Juvia removed the bowl from her head and set the pot aside, pushing them toward the woman with a grateful smile.

"Imelda-san, Juvia appreciates your care. Take care of yourself; Juvia will do the same."

"Miss…"

Juvia smiled as she stood, peeking around the stairwell in time to see the pirate ship aligning itself upon starboard side. Deep navy sails fluttered with the wind, a flag of black, blue and white waving high in the air. Grappling hooks imbedded themselves in the woodwork, the cries of men and women erupting through the crashing of cannons and waves.

"Let Juvia take you to a lifeboat, Imelda-san." She reached for the other woman's hand, pulling her once more to her feet and side stepping as best she could on the bent and sinking ship.

They pulled themselves along, using the doors as stepping stools and kicking tables and chairs behind them to fend off anyone attempting to board the ship. On port side the life boats were filling up quickly, seamen pushing guests, children and the ship maids in until capacity, cutting the boats lines and allowing them to drop unceremoniously into the darkened ocean. Juvia pulled Imelda forward, pushing her toward the closest crew member.

"Imelda! Where have you been? Hurry up, there isn't much time!" he said, pulling her along. Imelda turned, reaching for Juvia in the same motion. "Don't worry, we will get her too. You did good."

Juvia stood, moving to take the offered hand when the boat suddenly jerked. Men toppled over and she took hold of the closest railing to keep her footing. The lifeboats rocked, screams of frightened guests erupting into the night. One hung half attached, people clinging to whatever they could to keep on the boat and out of the icy water. She cringed, pulling herself up rail by rail until she could reach the knot that separated them from freedom. Reaching out, her fingers kept falling just short of the line.

All it would take was one good pull…

Juvia pressed her dampened boots and soggy dress to the corner of the deck and edge of the rounded staircase, one hand on the side of the ships railing, and pushed herself forward in a leap. She took hold of the rope and swung along with it, the weight of her body pulling the knot free as she hit into the wooden floor. Her body rolled along the deck until the ship corrected it's lean once more, slamming back first into the fallen mast leaning its weight on the deck.

In pain she pulled herself back into a crouch, glancing at her surrounding through sapphire blue locks of hair; she hadn't noticed it had come undone during the attack. Pirates filtered onto ship with swords and guns, ripping through the cabins and throwing the remainder of the crew around without much care. She pulled herself around the mast as close to the edge of the hole as possible, looking for anything she could use as a weapon.

She didn't think about what would happen if she did manage to get away from the sinking ship alive, or how she would make her way back to shore. At the moment, everything Juvia did was instinct; she reached for a large splinter of wood with a sharp edge, ignoring the splinters that pressed through her palm.

Turning toward the battle, a burly man came upon her quickly, his sword lifted to swipe down on her. Juvia dropped into a crouch and pushed her body forward, using the angle of the ship to push the man off balance as she pressed into him with the wooden shank aimed toward his knees. The man toppled, and she toppled with him, managing to push him off the edge of the ship and keep herself on the deck.

"A woman?"

The voice was loud as another pirate, this one smaller, came barreling toward her. She twisted out of the way and let him slam into the ship rail, pulling herself away. Another took hold of her arm and yanked her upright. Juvia kicked out at him, her skirts heavy and impeding her movements.

"Let Juvia go!"

"You aren't going anywhere, doll." The man said, turning her to face him. Orange colored locks of hair stuck out from the crude wrap he placed around his head, his breath stunk of rum. "This isn't a cargo ship—where were you all headed?"

Juvia used her proximity to her advantage, stomping firmly with the heel of her boot onto his foot. The man yelped, his grip loosening enough for Juvia to pull away and take his sword at the same time. The steel was heavy and not something she was used to carrying; it took all of her strength to hold the weapon upright and appear threatening in any sense of the word.

"You—"

Juvia moved to swing the sword, but her motions were slowed and caught by another man from behind. He held the sword from the blunt side, pulling Juvia toward him and away from the other man. Her eyes bore into his tall, burly frame, fighting to pull the sword out of his grip and back into her own. He laughed.

"Gihihihi." He pulled hard, yanking the sword out of her grasp and across the ship. "Feisty as hell, aren't you?"

Juvia moved to kick him as well, but instead found herself face first on the wet deck, arm pinned behind her back by his weight. She struggled and he pressed a hand into her hair, forcing her head flat against the floor as the ship rocked. Juvia tugged, but the combined pressure of his hands and body along with the weight of her soaked dress kept her pinned well enough to the floor.

"Gajeel, that's enough." Juvia couldn't see who was speaking, his voice was calm and deep, and it commanded respect.

"Captain, she just about beat the shit out of Loke—"

"I had it under control! I may be fickle for women, but they lose their charm quick when they attack."

The man on her back stood up, pulling her with him. Hair plastered to the wet skin on her face, Juvia lowered her brows and tried to appear as fierce as she could; it wasn't easy. The man in front of her was lean and shirtless, a large blue hat with a feather over his dark hair, eyes dark and calculating. There was no malice in his expression, though she could tell he was used to being heeded and not questioned by the way his arms crossed over his chest while he looked her over.

"Take her back to the ship."

"A hostage?" the one named Loke asked, confused by the direction given.

"Did I stutter?"

"Juvia is not going with you!" she tugged, pulled, and found her chest pressed forward by the weight of the pirate standing behind her. She stomped her feet, hoping that somewhere was another foot that would give way and let her loose.

The man in front of her closed his eyes and walked past them, not bothering to respond to her protests.

"The ship is ours. Take the girl and the loot. We'll celebrate once it's 20 leagues under."


	2. Handsome Captor

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for your support! I hope this chapter does not disappoint.

**Seas of Change**

_**Chapter 2: Handsome Captor**_

Noise on the _Frozen Banshee_, as Juvia found out, was far louder than any passenger ship she had ever sailed on. The ruckus coming from on and below deck shook the walls of ship harder than the waves as they pushed further into northern waters. She glared at the door that kept her locked away from the rancor; how could anyone be so happy about what they had just done? Every person on that ship was innocent. How many of them were killed during the raid? How long would the others drift out at sea—would they be found, or would they go mad from the hopelessness? The expression in her eyes softened at the thought.

Had things gone different, Juvia could have been floating aimlessly in the Fiore sea; she could have died on deck at the hand of the pirates gallivanting over their victory. What had she been thinking, attacking back? There were far more of them than there were of her, all of them with more brute in strength than she could muster with all of her body, and without an ounce of conscience. What was she fighting to defend?

Juvia turned her hands palm up noticing for the first time they were bruised and filled with splinters from the board she had attacked the first pirate with. With the adrenaline and shock, she hadn't noticed how hard she had held it. If her hands looked that bad, she was sure there were bruises over the rest of her body from colliding with the deck.

She began picking the splinters out of her left palm, wincing in frustration as they pushed further into her skin instead of out.

"Here."

Juvia glanced up, surprised to find she wasn't alone. The man in front of her was still shirtless, though his hat had been tossed aside. He held out what appeared to be a warm cloth, having set two mugs on the table that separated them. His body was firm, slightly scarred and muscular, something under any other circumstance Juvia may have blushed over—her cheeks felt red, but she refused to believe it was for anything other than frustration. His face was just as beautiful as the rest of him, made of strong lines and topped with a mass of dark hair.

The coolness of his eyes was the only thing Juvia could not understand. Whatever was behind them he kept locked away.

She hesitated before taking the cloth, setting it between her palms to warm and relax the skin of her hands. The man took a seat opposite of her as he pulled a mug to his lips. The smell of rum was prevalent.

"Why not just leave Juvia on the ship?"

He quirked an eyebrow at her over his drink. "Where else would you have gone? Down with it?"

"The other passengers were not given the luxury of choice."

There was silence between them after that, until he reached for her hand and set it flat against the table. Juvia tried to pull away, but his grip was strong and her body was weakened from the adrenaline that had left her body after the raid. He pulled a needle from a box on the table, reaching for one of the splinters.

Juvia jerked.

"Stop moving." He commanded the same tone he had used to direct his men to take her prisoner. "You can't get these out on your own."

"Juvia doesn't need your help."

He kept his gaze on her open palm, pressing the needle precisely against her skin and removing the first splinter. "Do you want them out or not?"

When Juvia did not protest further, he continued with his work in silence. The sun-kissed color of his skin was stark in contrast to her own, his fingers calloused as he worked each sliver out. The cloth wiped after each turn as he paused to check for blood. Once the left hand was done, he reached for her right and continued. Juvia found herself easing out of tension, and in response his grip loosened.

"Who are you?" she whispered, confused by the conflicting sense of calm and anger.

Pirates weren't supposed to be gentle, were they? Juvia knew she should dislike him if for no other reason than he was the Captain, and he was the one who gave the orders that stranded so many innocent people at sea. It was his fault she was on the _Frozen Banshee_ instead of docking in Crocus and hopping on a train to pick up the next child who would find a home across the ocean. He seemed to feel no remorse for his actions, and yet he was treating her with a type of gentle care she was unaccustomed to.

"My name is Gray." He answered, removing the last slice of wood from beneath her skin.

"Gray?"

A loud bang resounded outside the cabin door, followed by hooting and loud chanting. Unconcerned, Gray's attention never left the bandage he began wrapping about her hand, despite the increase in volume. Juvia's muscles twitched in a cry to pull away and yet she found herself remaining still until he finished his work. Her skin missed the warmth of his palm once he pulled away. She flexed her fingers and inspected the work he had done—seven splinters, and only two had bled when they were removed. Her hands felt sore and swollen, but better.

"Drink." He pushed the extra mug across the table with his own. "It's been a long night. Wind down."

The comment sprung Juvia back to her situation—she was a captive, _Gray's_ prisoner. No amount of rum or medical care would change that. She could feel heat coming to her cheeks in a combination of shame and angry, stinging tears.

She pushed the drink back violently. "Juvia will have nothing you offer. She does not dine with murderers."

"You'll get hungry fast enough and change your mind." He responded. "We may be pirates, but we are not killers."

"Why did you attack the ship?" she countered, feeling her irritation rising with his cool demeanor.

How could he possibly not realize what he had done, the lives he had destroyed by ordering the attack? He was the captain; the order had to have come from him. How many had drowned? How many escaped? Even if he did not shoot the cannons himself, as the leader he was responsible.

The relaxed way his muscles moved as he took another drink without a care did things to Juvia she did not like, a mixture of anger and something else she was unfamiliar with.

Gray let out a long sigh. "It doesn't matter. We live at sea and we die by sea. You have to hunt to survive, and that is what we do. If we don't, we end up the same as your ship."

"We had nothing to give you!" Juvia cried, voice raising. "How can you be okay with that?"

He stood up. "I never said I was, I just said we didn't have a choice."

Before she could respond Gray had abandoned her at the table and walked toward the door. He pulled it open, a pink haired man stumbling in and crashing into a support beam. He cursed, rubbing his head before turning back toward him. Gray smirked.

"Natsu, you are an idiot."

"Hey! You shouldn't have brought a woman on board, they're bad luck!" he argued. "Like you don't get us in enough trouble as it is."

"No, that's you. And that's why you're first mate and not Captain."

Juvia watched the exchange, unnerved by how close the two men seemed. Natsu was animated, waving his hands around and making obscene gestures; Gray remained resolute, only cracking a grin and saying a few words in response. The natural way they interacted told her they were friends, despite the nature of the conversation.

"So you're just gonna leave her locked up in your cabins, huh?" Natsu finally said, gripping the scarf about his neck. "That why you had us take her back?"

"Idiot." Gray twitched, slapping Natsu on the back of head. "Where is she supposed to sleep, in the barracks?"

"Hey!" Natsu chased Gray out of the cabin, the door slamming behind him along with a slew of threats.

Juvia found herself alone once more, the noises of the ship moving further from the door. Despite having no chains or bonds to keep her in place, she did not move from the chair or table. There was no prison in the world more condemning than one at sea, where was nowhere to run. The further the noise moved from the room, the more alone she felt. She lifted her hands to her face, palms to her eyes.

For the first time since boarding the _Frozen Banshee_, Juvia cried.

* * *

Gray stood beside the ships wheel on the upper deck of the stern, overseeing the dying embers of his crew's celebration. Men lay strewn about the deck with rum in hand, some face down and other barely hanging onto their seats. The sun would rise shortly and they would spend the next day in a hangover cleaning the mess they made while he and Natsu took stock of their loot, but not a man on his ship would complain. It was a small price to pay when everyone went full blast—as the men who came from other ships would say, better to celebrate and clean after than never be able to celebrate at all.

Icebergs came into view on the horizon; Gray pulled the wheel to starboard to avoid the mass, but not out of fear. His expertise of sailing through the frozen northern waters is what kept himself and his crew alive. Naval ships rarely sailed this far north. If they did, Captain Fullbuster was able to out maneuver them until they sunk themselves. It was his calling card and what gave him his name. No one else in all the seas would dare sail a ship where Gray would.

Removing his hands from the wheel, Gray stepped back and leaned on the stern mast, eyes downcast. Just below his feet was the first woman to ever step on his ship; he had saved marooned passengers before, even ferried survivors of his attacks back to land—but never a woman.

Had he realized they were attacking a passenger ship, Gray may have chosen to steer the _Frozen Banshee_ in the opposite direction. Neutral ships were never a target, but the mistake had been made and his crew always saw themselves through to the end. They had taken as much care as possible to spare as many of the people on board as they could, leaving the lifeboats unaffected, but there were always casualties. Pirating was a harsh way of life, but the only one Gray knew or cared to accept. A life on land, under the ruling of corrupt governing powers and even more corrupt clergy, was not something he cared to be a part of.

At least at sea, everything made sense.

Once she had attacked Gajeel, there had been no other option but to take her with them. There were no more boats to take her from the wreckage, and the thought of a woman dying because of his error in judging the purpose of the vessel left a sour taste in his mouth. He was not the royal Navy. Gray didn't leave innocent women to die.

He closed his eyes, warding off memories he didn't care to reflect on. Not now, at least.

"That's not a normal look for you, Captain."

It was Loke, standing on the port side stairway from lower deck. Gray straightened, allowing a small grin to fall on his face. Loke took that as an invitation to continue onto the upper deck.

"Surprised you're not passed out."

"I am more interested in the beautiful woman you've locked up in your room." Loke responded. "How long are you planning on keeping her on the ship?"

"Worried she's going to come after you again?"

His expression soured. "Really Captain, I underestimated her. It's not like she's one of Erza's women—she took advantage of the situation."

Erza.

If there was another pirate crazier than Gray, it would be her. She made for a good ally, but the rest of the women on her ship—and the lone man, Jellal—all held some level of mania that struck fear into the most seasoned seafarers. A woman with no expertise in fighting taking on three of his men probably did belong with Erza aboard the _Titania._

"You want me to give her to Erza?"

"Hell no." Loke shuddered at the thought. "I think she is right where she needs to be for now. Women on your ship are bad luck, but we could use a pretty face—it's been a while since we've docked."

Gray felt his eyes narrow a bit. "That's why she's not in the barracks with you."

"I'm saying, lets dock soon, Captain."

Turning toward the navigation table, Gray glanced for their current location. A ship moved about the paper, marking their location as they drifted. He had handed over a lot of money for a lacrima map, which tracked their progress with magic and removed the need for a compass. The closest port was a four day journey to the east. It was a relatively neutral area, once they could stop by for a short time to sell what they had pillaged and restock the ship. It wasn't Torenju, which is where Loke most likely wanted to go, but it was good enough.

"Magnolia?"

"The least fun port you find." Loke smiled anyway, then tilted the bottle of rum in his hand and took a deep swig. "How long will we have to stretch our sea legs?"

* * *

It was at the crackling of dawn when Natsu came up to relieve Gray. His first mate was drunk, but sober enough to direct the ship where it needed to go. By the time he arose from his cabins, the rest of the crew would be awake and active, Natsu would be between motion sickness and a hangover, and they would be half a day down on their path to Magnolia. Eyes heavy, Gray pushed open the door to his cabin and pulled his boots off.

As soon as his pants hit the ground, he noticed a streak of blue hair peeking out from beneath the sheets on his feathered mattress. Juvia—at least he assumed that was her name, she kept talking about herself in third person—seemed comfortable enough. He hadn't forgotten that she was in his rooms, but the sight of her in his bed was still surprising. Didn't captives who were uncomfortable stay awake, or at least fall asleep in an uncomfortable place? Gray stepped toward the mattress.

He wasn't crass enough to climb in beside her.

He should just wake her up and make her sleep somewhere else.

A bruise had begun forming along the side of her face where Gajeel had pinned her to the deck of doomed ship she had been on, swelling about her cheekbone and jaw. She had been through more that day than he had, so despite his better judgment Gray let her be. He couldn't expect her to sleep anywhere other than a bed—she seemed civil enough that she likely had never known hardship or loss, having grown up on land and under the governance of the same people who had destroyed everything he had known.

Gray turned and headed for his small office, sitting the chair and propping his feet up on the desk. There were worse ways to sleep.

He needed to figure out exactly what he was doing with this girl. He wasn't going to give up his bed forever.


	3. In the Company of Pirates

**Author's Note:** Thank you all for your kind words! It inspires me to write more, and quicker! I'm bouncing my ideas off MizWrite every day, so I half consider this a collaborative work. I hope you like this chapter! It is so strange writing stand-offish Juvia toward Gray but it is necessary for the situation the characters are in.

**Seas of Change**

_**Chapter 3: In the Company of Pirates**_

Juvia awoke to a dull ache below her eye, along her cheekbone to the edge of her chin. Her muscles were sore and her body heavy beneath the thick woolen blanket. Rubbing the sleep from her eyes as she sat up on the mattress, Juvia took in the room around her. With the creeping sunlight through the windows, the cabin seemed warmer than the one she remembered falling asleep in. The chill of the northern sea had still managed to creep inside, and Juvia pulled herself out of the bed to collect her dress.

The purple gown she had worn the night of the pirate attack was soiled and torn, but Juvia pulled it on anyway. The fabric sagged around her hips where it had split at the seam, dark stains running along the left side and along the front from her fall on the deck. Lace detailing peeled and Juvia counted three holes about the bodice and two large ones near the hem. It was in shambles, but she had worn worse.

Glancing once more about the room, she caught sight of a pair of boots and pants lying near the door and her heart jumped. She wasn't alone in the room, and had been so exhausted she hadn't heard anyone enter. How long had they been here—and what were they doing, naked in the room with her? Naked when she had been in nothing but—

A flush fell over Juvia's cheeks.

Did pirates have _no decency_?

She turned to her right, spying a pair of feet atop the desk in the attached room; Juvia hesitated before deciding she would never gain her footing in a pirate ship if she didn't enter the room and see who felt they had the right to enter the room of a sleeping woman. It was scandalous and barbaric, something rakish men did in the romance novels she would bring with her on her voyages. It was not that Juvia had no interest in those things, but there was not a soul on this ship she wanted to whisk her off her feet and into a night of devilish impropriety.

It would be so much easier to believe if the man who had snuck into the room wasn't so handsome. Juvia recognized the scars, despite the large feathered hat that sat over his face as he slept with legs propped up on the desk and torso leaning back in his chair. How could someone so terrible appear so vulnerable in his sleep? Did he not view her as a threat?

With hesitation, Juvia lightly padded the rest of the way toward the desk, cautiously eyeing to be sure he had something on below- she was relieved of that much. Despite the chill, his skin held no goose bumps and appeared a warm sun kissed golden, not purple or red as her own skin would turn when cold. Her eyes settled on the hat that covered his face, catching sight of something glimmering just behind him. She stepped closer before leaning up on her toes to see around him. The object floated above a golden base with an icy finish; her hand lifted over his body cautiously.

Magic?

Juvia felt herself falling before she noticed Gray's hand on her arm, yanking her off her feet and into his lap. She fell over him and the chair, struggling against his hold as she was assaulted with his scent—a mixture of sea salt and musk.

"Don't touch that." His voice was low and raspy, tinged with the grogginess of one awoken long before they were ready.

She placed her bandaged hand atop his chest, pressing away. Gray tilted his head back so his hat would slip from his face to atop his hair, eyes never leaving her face as she tried to pull away. His hold on her tightened as if to show her who was in control here-of the ship, of the situation—and that it was definitely not her. Had he truly been asleep?

"Then don't _you_ touch Juvia!" she stated, teeth grit as her eyes met his. There was a burning in her cheeks as she found her footing again and used that to pull off his body. "Especially dressed like that! How dare you enter Juvia's room when she was not properly dressed—and then sit around nearly naked!"

He raised an eyebrow. "Your room?"

"This is where you have Juvia locked. It must be her room."

"This is my cabin, and I don't remember inviting you into my bed. "He corrected, pulling his feet from the table top and standing tall before her. Gray saw the information process just behind her inky blue eyes, watched as the color of her skin turned from red to that of a bruised apple at the implications of his words. It was a low blow, he knew, but the comfortable way she moved about his rooms and reached for his things irked him the wrong way. He could forgive her sleeping in his bed but her entitlement would stop there.

Juvia stammered, feeling the heat on her face run through the rest of her body. "J-J-Juvia would never bed with you!"

"Good to know."

Gray narrowed his eyes a bit at the sight of her dress. He hadn't bothered with much aside from her splinters last night, but her clothes were in worse shape than the rest of her. The bruise on her face had swollen and grown an ugly green and black color, and yet all he saw was how her undergarments stuck out from the split at her hip. She seemed to be aware too as she reached to pull the tear closed; a gurgling noise escaped her at the same moment.

She was hungry. He felt his irritation ebb slightly. "The kitchen is below deck; go eat."

"Juvia wants nothing you have to offer."

"Except for my bed?"

The flush came to her face once again as he stepped around her and sat on the mattress she had occupied. Juvia could feel her hands fisting in frustration and mortification; not only had he pressed her into his body, but he had looked her over as if she were a common brothel woman. Despite his pleasing appearance, the captain of the _Frozen Banshee_ was not gentleman at all. Her stomach growled again.

"Juvia can't go out there like _this_."

Gray pulled a blanket over his head, signaling the end of the conversation. "My men won't touch you. If you don't go soon there won't be any food left."

* * *

The sunlight was bright, reflecting off the ocean like a mirror. Juvia lifted a hand to shield her eyes, allowing the cabin door to slam rather loudly behind her. Her heart pumped rapidly in her chest as she stepped the rest of the way onto the deck. It appeared peaceful enough, and without having any shackles or limitations nearly felt as if she were on the ship willingly. Gray had a very different way of handling his prisoners than what she had heard pirates would do—dragging them beneath the ship by ropes, locking them away in the dampened cages on the bottom of the hull with no food or water for days.

"Oi, you're up!" the cheerful voice came from above deck, the same pink haired man from the night before with a huge smile on his face. His face looked a bit green, and before Juvia could respond he was turning away from her to the side of the ship.

The noises he made were retched, though Juvia felt a small amount of satisfaction knowing he was suffering. It served him right not to feel comfortable, especially with so many people floating aimlessly at sea. He stopped, wiping an arm across his face before turning back to her. His smile was back in place, but much weaker than it had been.

"Ship moves too much, I get sea sick."

That caught her off guard. A pirate… who gets sea sick?

"You'll have to ignore Natsu." The voice came from her left, the orange haired pirate in glasses. "He doesn't know how to behave properly when a lady is around."

"Juvia doesn't think you do either." She let her eyes narrow a bit, her tone biting.

If it bothered the man, he didn't say anything. "We started off on the wrong foot, my dear. My name is Loke—and you are Juvia, correct?" he offered her his hand.

Juvia didn't take it, instead responding with a simple nod to let him know she had heard him. His eyes narrowed a bit before he reached out, hand brushing lightly over the sore side of her face; Juvia pulled back, but he moved forward with her.

"That looks bad, a woman as beautiful as you shouldn't have marks like that." He remarked with sympathy.

"Juvia has it because of all of you." She knocked his hand back and stood straighter, intent on letting him know he was not welcome to touch her. The familiarity he treated her with after attacking her on the ship was unnerving and unwelcome.

Natsu appeared at the bottom of the stairwell, shaking a slightly with his illness but holding fast to the banister. "Leave her alone, Loke. She's probably just out here to eat; not like you could get a lady to swoon over you; you smell like fish. Cover the wheel for me."

Walking toward her, Natsu motioned toward the helm where another set of cabins and a downward stairwell sat. He opened the doorway to the stairwell, waiting for her to follow him down. Juvia could feel apprehension building in the muscles of her back, waiting for someone to jump out of the woodwork and destroy her as the newspapers said pirates would do. At the end of the stairs was an open dining room where a few other men sat; Juvia stopped just outside, feeling Natsu move around her with more fluidity than when he had been on deck.

"You've gotta be starving, they'll make room." He grinned at her. "I won't let 'em touch you."

"Juvia can take care of herself."

"I heard. Loke's got a broken toe to prove it." He remarked, stepping inside and motioning for her to follow.

The dining room was sparse, with one large cherrywood table and sets of mismatched dishes, goblets and glasses. The serving plates were open and half devoured, a mixture of things Juvia wouldn't have dared to call a meal or even cooked—most of it was burnt beyond recognition, and the things that weren't had obviously been purchased and were turning stale. The smell of wine was strong, no sight of milk or fresh water about the area. Natsu pulled one of the nicer chairs out and brushed the seat off before offering it to her.

She was finding him difficult to dislike.

As she moved to take the seat, her eyes settled on a large man with long dark hair, piercing along his brow bones, nose, and forearms. He watched her with a gruff expression, one arm on the table and the other holding what was supposed to be a turkey leg just beyond his mouth. She recognized him easily enough as the one who had tackled her to the deck, and despite her heightened sense of alertness Juvia allowed her eyes to meet his and glared back.

If she had to stay on this ship, she wouldn't let them think they had gotten the better of her.

He smirk.

"Gihi." He turned to sit full at the table, both arms lying across the top from the elbows down. "You look like shit."

"Juvia feels fine."

He took stock of her face, turning his head slightly to get a better view of the bruising. "You smashed into the deck, surprised your face didn't break."

"Sorry to disappoint." She reached for one of the breads that appeared to be the most recently baked.

"I ain't, you're tough as hell. I respect that." He responded. "Never expected to find a woman who could fight like that—you need practice, but you're pretty good."

Was he praising her?

Juvia took a bite of the bread, finding that despite herself she was relaxing. Everything in her screamed to stay alert; she knew what the papers said, the crimes that caused pirates to find themselves at the gallows. They were rapists and pillagers, an enemy to all civilized life. They hunted for treasure and left not a single person alive. At times they even tore one another apart, dragged their enemies beneath their ships until drowned, hung the heads of their overthrown leaders from the mast ropes.

Pirates were dangerous people who knew nothing but the sea.

Yet, this ship was full of gentlemanly flirts, appraising ruffians, seasick first mates and a seemingly insufferable captain who spent his days half dressed or nearly nude in frigid weather. They appeared more a mismatched bunch who had no other place to go other than out to sea than the type of pirates all people were warned about.

Her face scrunched as she took in the flavor of the bread.

"Is this what you have to eat?" Juvia asked, setting the loaf down on her plate.

Natsu piled his plate high with blackened meat. "Yeah, not the best but none of us can really cook, and it's edible so it's easier just to pretend it's something from a tavern in Torenju."

"To hell with that, Gray needs to recruit a damn cook."

"It ain't that easy when we've got someone like you on board!"

"What was that Salamander?"

"You heard me rivet face!"

Juvia glanced between them, watching both men rise out of their seats, eyes flashing in challenge. They leaned over the table as if she were not sitting near them, their anger palpable. It had not taken long for them to rile one another up, almost as if it were on purpose. The lack of reaction from the others at the table caused her to believe this was not a rare occurrence on the ship.

"You wanna go?"

"Anytime!"

"Do you have a kitchen?" Juvia interrupted, setting down a piece of meat she had been hoping to find edible. The more she looked at the food on the table, the less hungry she felt.

Her question caught both men off guard, and they removed themselves from their place on top of the table. They glanced between one another as a final warning before either man took the motion to answer her question. Gajeel was the first to move, stepping around the table and motioning for her to follow him. Natsu nodded to affirm she should go, turning back to the table and reaching for the stale bread in front of him.

Juvia stood cautiously, following Gajeel through a small hallway to the kitchen. Did they allow all of their prisoner's free movement about the ship? Her senses screamed to remain on high alert, that at some point they would use this freedom against her. She hesitated, eyeing Gajeel warily before she stepped into the room.

He rolled his eyes. "Shit, I push you down once and I'm a bad guy now?"

"You're a pirate." She corrected, reaching for the first cabinet. It was full of spices, ranging from cinnamon to cardamoms and few she had never seen nor heard of. The next housed mismatched sets of pots and pans. "All pirates are bad."

"You shouldn't believe everything you read, missy." He responded, leaning against the wall opposite the stove.

Pulling the icebox open, Juvia found a decent array of fish and vegetables; she lifted a few before selecting what she wanted and setting them on a clean cutting board she located beneath the drain sink. She found a set of matches, and reached to add two logs to the fire beneath the stove, stoking it slowly with a poker. The flames caught after a few minutes and she stood again, turning back toward Gajeel before reaching for a knife.

She expected him to jump and tackle her for it, but instead he glanced toward the ingredients she had placed out with eagerness.

"You can cook?" his question was filled with awe and suspicion.

"Juvia has always been able to cook."

"Thought ladies like you had servants for that stuff." he glanced toward her. "Aren't you like… high class or something?"

Instead of answering, she turned back toward the cutting board and began to filet the fish. Behind her Gajeel moved, his footsteps bringing him beside her. She ignored him as best she could, pulling the best parts of the fish away from its skin and bones before rubbing it down with an array of herbs; the smell was already much better than the burnt food sitting just a room over. Juvia opened a cupboard above her, reaching for one of the pans on the highest shelf.

Gajeel took hold of it for her, and set it on the stovetop for her.

"Hey." His voice was gruff but oddly inviting. "You think you could cook some extra?"

Juvia looked in his direction. "Why would Juvia cook for you?"

"It's not like we get good meals on the ship." He said. "'Sides, you're unpredictable and I meant it earlier when I said you needed practice. I can train you to fight."

The confusion on her face was genuine. "Why would you train Juvia to fight?"

"If you're gonna be on the ship, might as well be useful. No one expects a fine lady to kick his ass."

She watched his expression, noting the subtle hint of hopefulness behind its rough exterior. This was the same man who had climbed ontop of her and slammed her face into the deck, the reason for the bruise that marred her cheek, and he was treating her as if nothing had happened. If anything, he seemed to be trying to make up for what had happened and was looking for a mutually beneficial situation to make up for it. Juvia glanced toward the meat and vegetables on the board.

There was more than enough for her.

The food the men had been eating up until that point was a terrible waste of good ingredients, and if she was honest… she was beginning to realize these men were not the terrible people that she was trying to paint them as. She had heard many stories growing up about the malice and evil that accompanied any ship flying a black flag, had read the reports made by survivors and the confessions of those condemned to the gallows. Maybe those on the _Frozen Banshee_ were not the same as other pirates, or perhaps they were not pirates at all.

It was difficult to blame what had happened on each one of them as individuals when they treated her with something bordering respect. When all was said and done, they were only acting upon a command from their Captain. If there was anyone she should dislike, it was him.

Juvia sighed. "I'm not as fine a lady as you think I am. Do you like root vegetables?"

He smirked. "Anything tastes better than what they're eating."

* * *

When Gray awoke, the sun was high over his ship and his room had warmed considerably; in his sleep, he had lost his underwear and the sheets had flown off. He groped around until he found his pants, tugging them on over his nakedness and securing the belt with a swift tug. He padded to the door, pulled on his boots and stepped out shirtless into the lukewarm air. The deck was vacant of his crew, a sweet smelling aroma hitting his nose.

How long had he been asleep? The sun was still too high in the sky for everyone to be eating, and Gray had never smelled something quite as enticing on his ship before.

Where Juvia was remained a distant concern; there were only so many places she could get to on the ship, unless she jumped off.

Opening the door to stairwell that lead to the kitchen and dining area, the smells of breads, aromatic spices and well cooked meat met him in a rush, along with the noise of his crew, piled within a room too small to house them all at once. His eyes narrowed slightly as he stopped in the doorway.

His men were having a feast that he was well aware none of them could have prepared, deep in their drunkenness and reaching for puddings, cakes, stews and soups—there were plates of well dressed chicken, sauces in bowls and cups alike, the men poured wine and cheered as a small body moved in reverse with another large plate, this one of fish dressed with julienned apples, red onions and cucumbers. Juvia turned and set the plate in front of Natsu.

"Juvia where did you learn to cook like this?" he asked, grabbing the topmost piece of fish. "We haven't eaten like this in weeks!"

"I told Gray she was exactly where she needed to be." Loke tipped his wine glass back, finishing it in one full chug.

The blue haired woman wiped her half bruised brow tenderly, expression soft and contented. "Juvia has been cooking her whole life, it's a hobby."

"Lucky for us!"

Her dress was still torn, but tied up at her side with what Gray knew was Gajeel's headband; her hands were covered in a pair of oversized gloves, but somehow despite the bruises, grime, torn clothes and sweat, she seemed an entirely new woman and one to be in awe of. For all of her dislike of him, she had managed to get his crew to not only sit at the table instead of fight, but had managed to feed them far better than any ship cook he could have hired.

How did a woman of her status know how to cook?

"Captain!"

The atmosphere in the room lost its warmth, but not for the reaction of his crew as they invited him in with mugs of rum and mountains of food. Gray's attention was centered on the blue haired woman at the opposite end of the room- covered in flour and dressed like a street pleaser—as her gaze and expression lost their relaxed, natural expression and instead became tight and cool. The rest of his crew was welcome there, but it was obvious he wasn't.

It wasn't often Gray felt like he didn't belong on his own ship, or with his own crew.

"You should let her be our cook!" came a cry from his left.

The rest of the crew responded with enthusiastic approval, cheering and toasting to her name, to her food, to the satisfaction of their stomachs. Gray glanced about them, and then back to Juvia whose attention had not left him for a moment.

He crossed his arms and leaned slightly to the side, attention focused solely on Juvia. "Would you want to?"

"Juvia will cook for them." She responded, the underlying message that she would not cook for him apparent in her voice.

Gray was finding he didn't like the way she challenged him; she was spirited and unique, but in front of his crew it was imperative that he show he was in control. She seemed to have easily found her place amongst his men, and if she were willing to work as the chef then that would effectively make her a part of the crew as well, and crew members did not live in the Captain's quarters. It seemed he could cure two problems at the same time.

"The cook sleeps in the kitchen."

He saw the expression in her eyes change, from anger to surprise. Gray knew he had regained control of the situation, and reached for a large piece of chicken off the nearest plate.

"When you're all finished, get on deck and prepare the masts. We're heading to Magnolia and this ship isn't going to steer itself."


	4. Magnolia

**Author's Note:** Wow! I am speechless, you are all so kind! I do need to warn you that this may be the last update until November; I am getting married in two weeks so my days are starting to become far busier with wedding related things and guests, and then I will be going on a two week honeymoon out of the country. Never fear, Seas of Change will continue on! It just may take a bit of time : )

**Seas of Change**

_**Chapter 4: Magnolia**_

"Try again." Gajeel stood across the deck, arms loose at his sides.

Juvia could see the lack of tension in his muscles while he watched her. Her joints creaked with her movements, unaccustomed to being forced into repeated violent movements for hours on end. Despite the aches in her bones she stepped forward and moved to tackle him. The attack was easily caught with a firm grip of his hand as his feet moved backward to poise a counter. She compensated by placing the weight of her body to her feet as he had shown, allowing her to take control of the force he applied and pull him out of his position.

For the first time since they began their lesson that day, Juvia felt Gajeel stumble. The excitement that filtered through her body boosted her confidence and solidified her determination. She didn't want to lose. She needed what he was teaching her- if nothing else, she could use what he had shown her to escape the ship when they landed in Magnolia.

Falling into a low crouch as Gajeel lumbered forward, Juvia pulled her body back to take him along with her. The movement caught him off guard and he overcompensated by twisting his body to the left; it allowed her to pull herself upright and hook her foot behind his. Their eyes caught one another as their bodies twisted, and she was sure she could see a satisfied grin on his face as he started to fall to his back. She knew she had won this duel.

Unfortunately, his leg tangled in the holes and extra length of her torn dress and Juvia went down with him. Bracing herself for a rough impact, Juvia was surprised to find her fall cushioned by a thick arm and half of a chest. He grumbled while she moved to sit up before doing the same himself.

"Gajeel-kun…"

"That was a hell of a move." He responded. Had he noticed Juvia's concerned expression, he didn't bother to comment on it. "But this dress ain't helpin' you at all."

She glanced toward the hem of her gown, Gajeel's leg tangled between three different holes and underskirt. Cutting the ragged ends off had kept her from falling, but the holes were still a problem. To think it had once been her favorite dress—now that it was in tatters, it was slowly becoming apparent that it nearing the end of its usefulness.

"Juvia has nothing else to wear." She responded.

Gajeel reached for the skirt, trying without success to untangle his foot. "Doesn't look like you're wearing it, looks like it's just hanging off your underwear."

Her face turned a furious shade of red; Juvia yanked on her skirt, hearing the fabric tear more before he removed his foot. "Gajeel-kun!"

"I'll lend you something for now." He offered. "It'll be big but it's better than rags with holes."

Juvia watched as he stood, following in the motion. This was their fourth day of training, and through their battles she had developed an unexpected kinship with Gajeel. He respected her desire to learn and pushed her limits, but in his own way he accepted her femininity and protected it. More than once she had overheard him taking a fellow shipmate to the side, not so subtly chastising them for glancing at her the wrong way or being too demanding when she cooked. In turn she made sure he had the best portions of the meals she prepared and listened to him recount previous battles and how he became a pirate to begin with.

If there was one thing Juvia had not expected, it was how someone could be so rough and angular and yet have an indisputable gentleness to him at the same time. He was not above treating her as he would any other member of the crew during a duel, but when it came to her modesty or what he called 'lady stuff' he was the first the jump in and push her toward ways of propriety.

She found herself smiling.

"Gajeel-kun, Juvia thought pirates preferred women with clothes half torn."

"Yeah, well, you thought wrong." He brushed her off, obviously wanting to end that discussion before it even started. "I keep tellin' you we ain't like you think we are."

"Juvia is realizing that."

He waited for her to stand, taking in the state of her dress once more. "Dammit." He placed a hand on her shoulder and steered her toward the barracks. "You're changing now, Lady Luck."

* * *

Boxes of items were strewn about the storage room, and Gray stood in the dim light with a ledger in his hands. They had enough to trade in Magnolia and stay at sea for at least another month before hitting port again. The spoils from this season at sea included an array of delicate porcelain goods, a few magical items and lots of gold and jewels from the few merchant ships they had encountered. Natsu shoved one more box away as Gray marked a few more tallies under "Tradeable" and one under "Torenju".

"Shit, this is heavy." Natsu turned from the ladder he was standing on, arms crossed. "Why don't you do this for a while, ice bastard?"

Gray glanced in his direction. "That's what I have you for."

His first mate growled a bit. "Oh yeah? Did you account for Juvia in your budget, or are you planning to let her off when we port?"

The paper in his hands had nothing on it including the woman on his ship. Gray frowned as he reviewed the numbers and allowed Natsu's words to roll about in his head. What exactly was he going to do with Juvia? The crew was partial to her by this point—her food was good and she made for a decent change in company. The dining area was cleaner than he remembered seeing it, and the ship smelled a hell of a lot better, though the stink of burnt fish and molded bread was hard to remove completely.

On the other hand, she was an extra mouth to feed that would not fight for him if the need arose. There was no denying the tension between the two of them; Gray was happier when she remained on her end of the ship and he on his own. It would be easily alleviated if he let her go in Magnolia.

Magnolia was very far from where her ship had been headed. Gray couldn't shake the feeling that leaving her there would keep her further from her home than if he kept her on the ship until they ported near Crocus. Her animosity toward him was warranted, as the mistake of attacking a civilian ship was his and that was what caused her to become their captive. He was doing the best he knew how to make up for that.

"Hey, can't we at least give her these?"

Gray turned from the book and back toward Natsu, who held out two blankets and a feathered pillow.

"What for?"

"I know you're a bastard, but I didn't think you left women sleeping in kitchens without something to cover up with. You're the only person on this ship who thinks 10 below is summertime. She's gonna end up freezing in there."

He waved Natsu off. "Give her what you think she needs. I haven't heard her complain."

"She's not like that." Natsu defended, grabbing an extra pillow. "It's not her fault you're an asshole. I wouldn't ask you for that kind of stuff either."

"Shut up."

Gray turned back to the ledger in his hands while Natsu snooped around. He didn't like to admit it, but Natsu was right. Juvia got under his skin in ways that made him do things he couldn't control. He reacted without thinking, cast judgment he questioned but could not back down from. They said women on a ship were bad luck, but it seemed the only bad luck Juvia brought with her was the shortness of his temper.

Above all else, Juvia was a lady who was unaccustomed to their way of life. A pirate ship was not a place she would feel comfortable, and her guard was up. Even as she began to form tentative friendships with the more easy going members of his crew, it was impossible for him to breech. He was not deserving and she seemed continually unforgiving, hardened by what she deemed a sin. Gray understood that, and a part of him respected it.

He snapped the book shut. "There's an extra feather mattress in the other room. She can have that too."

"I take it she's staying a while?" Natsu asked, the tone of his voice hinting at other possibilities that Gray had no patience for.

"I haven't decided."

* * *

Juvia examined herself in the reflective bottom of a the nicest pan in the ship's kitchen; Gajeel's clothes were far too large on her, the sleeves rolled up to her shoulder to keep them from hanging, the pants and shirt tied tight about her with rope and belts with added notches. A potato sack may have been more flattering, but she couldn't deny she felt far more secure in the oversized clothes than she had in her shredded gown.

Pulling her hair back with a strip of fabric from the now discarded dress, Juvia turned toward the cutting board in front of her. She promised the men a meal out on the deck that night, and since it was cold she decided to serve something that did not need to be cooked but was served fresh, paired with a warm ale.

She heard footsteps outside the door to the kitchen, which was not an unfamiliar sound. The crew would stop in time and again to request something of her for their meal that night. Juvia found she took a small amount of pleasure in seeing them smile when she presented the meals they asked for. As Gajeel had said, the men on this ship were nothing like she had heard. If anything, they were all men who needed a little care and reminder that they were just that—men. Not heroes, not pirates. Just men.

"Juvia?"

"Natsu-san?" she asked, setting the knife down and meeting him at the door. His arms were full with items positioned to fall; she took a few from him. "What is all this?"

"I figured you were getting cold in here, so I talked to Gray and found you some things." He answered, tossing a small feather mattress in the corner away from the stove.

Natsu reached for the blankets and pillows in her arms, tossing them over the mattress and arranging them into something that resembled a bed. He walked back out of the kitchen and returned with a small wooden bucket. Juvia took the pail, glancing inside and finding a small sliver of soap, a comb, and a cracked powder kit; she felt the smile tug at the corner of her lips. It had been cold and uncomfortable in the kitchen at night, and she knew how desperately she could use a small bath.

She set the bucket down and turned toward him. "Thank you Natsu-san."

"It's nothing." He pulled his hands behind his head, large grin on his own face. "I don't know how long you'll be with us, but you might as well be comfortable, right?"

"It doesn't seem that Captain Gray feels that way."

"Don't worry about him, he's an ass but it's because he cares. He's the one who told me to get you the mattress." Natsu answered, turning to see what she was making for dinner. "Only thing I couldn't find was some clothes."

She turned toward the makeshift bed he had created. Had that been Gray? There was a part of her that felt Natsu may have been stretching the truth. She had seen and heard little of the captain since he allowed her access to the kitchen but condemned her to sleep there as well. He took his meals in his own quarters, and was most often active at night while they sailed through the chilled waters of the Northern Fiore Sea.

"We're really doing the dinner on the deck thing, huh?"

Juvia nodded. "It's a clear day, why should we waste it in the dark?"

* * *

The port of Magnolia bustled with traffic of civilians and questionable merchants; a ship guide directed the _Frozen Banshee_ as near the dock as possible, catching her ropes and tying them of at strategically placed posts. Gray shrugged a white and black coat over his bare chest once the ship had anchored, tilting his hat slightly. The sounds of a city were vastly different than those of the sea and brought about a renewed sense of purpose for him and his crew; the excitement was similar to that of a ship raid, but for different purposes.

Despite their love of the ocean, there was no a man aboard his ship who was not excited at the prospect of stretching his sea legs. Gray descended from the stern's upper deck, adjusting the swords at his waist while he oversaw the movement of his loot from the lower levels of the ship to dock below. The man worked at a feverish pace to move all of the valuables to carts that would be escorted to specific merchants they knew to be friendly and fair to pirates.

"Captain," the voice belonged to one of Gray's deckhands, "should we wake the miss?"

He could feel the frown forming on his face. "She is fine where she is. I don't want her leaving the ship."

The boy looked confused. "We've never actually held a captive… captive before, sir."

That was a true enough assessment. If they did take someone from a ship they had attacked, Gray generally had them released as soon they reached port. They were treated with respect and left with their dignity; they were men who were well versed in the sea and knew their way about the cities they were left in. There had never been the concern of them not finding their way back from whence they came.

"She wouldn't be able to find her way from Magnolia to Crocus." Gray explained. "It's a long trip for a woman to make alone, she's better off on the ship until we get near her home."

Satisfied with the reasoning, the boy smiled. "Right—how many should stay behind to guard the ship?"

Gray could tell the boy wanted to be on shore, but there were always at least two deckhands and one of the officers that would remain behind. "Boatswain and three others should be sufficient. This your turn to walk, so tell Loke I said to pick a group of men to stay with him. He's to make sure Juvia does not leave the ship."

The boy scampered off with an "Aye Captain", and Gray continued down to the dock. Gajeel had already taken all of the iron and metals off to the blacksmith for repairs, Natsu was haggling with the rum merchant and a few other of his most trusted were hard at work pulling in the jewel and items they would need for their next foray at sea.

Turning down the main stretch of beachside boardwalk, Gray headed toward a special merchant whom he only ever dealt with in person. It was a sign of respect for the captain of a ship to arrive at her door, and per tradition Gray never failed to stop in with a unique piece for her trouble. The woman was a mage of sorts, advertised as a medium and fortune teller. Her shop was on the darkest corner of the brick-and-limestone walkway, sign insignificant among the grandeur of Magnolia's pier.

He pulled the door open, met with the strong scent of vanilla and lavender incense.

"Ultear."

The woman at the opposite end of the shop turned, long dark hair swaying with her movements. "It's been a while, Gray."

He moved to the nearest chair, lounging over it as if he were alone and etiquette mattered not. Ultear made no qualms about how he walked into her shop as if he owned it, instead focusing her dark gaze on the lines of his face.

"How's business?"

"Slow until a pirate walks in." she offered. "You brought something?"

Quick to the point; he wasn't surprised. Gray reached inside his jacket, producing a gold pocket watch with silver inlay. It fell into her palm neatly, warmer than a metal object should be. The spring to open the watch face required force but managed to open and expose the magical qualities inside. A map of the stars alighted the ceiling of the room, travelling quickly with the hands of the watch.

Ultear smiled. "You found it."

"It wasn't easy."

She walked toward a shelf behind the shop counter, placing the watch in its intended space beside a floating ice-like cube above its golden stand. "Time never is. It either holds things in limbo or destroys them. Yours is still working, right?"

Gray watched the ice-like item move before he closed his eyes. "How else would you have known I would be here?"

"The ice isn't just to keep an eye on you. My mother…"

"I know." He stopped her, leaning forward in the chair, elbows on his thighs. "I think about her every day. You've made a space for yourself here… is this really want you want, Ultear?"

"I won't be out to sea again." Her voice held a finality that left no room for question.

Gray sighed and stood up. "Ur wouldn't have wanted that. You lived and survived by the sea."

"And it was by the sea that she died."

"No." he turned toward the door. "Ur died because she protected us from the same people you're still hiding from, living in their shadow for protection. The Navy is your enemy, not the sea."

"Let me fight the battle from land. You can take care of the sea."

Gray stopped at the doorway, uncomfortable with the way they were parting. There was a level of bitterness between them he knew couldn't be overcome; if he had not been on the ship that day, maybe Ur would have lived. Ultear would not blame him directly, but the animosity was still there despite their promise to care for one another as Ur would have wanted.

"Why didn't you warn me about the civilian ship?"

His question was met with a moment of silence.

"It was a mistake, but you will be thankful in the long run. Just be sure you take care of the woman you rescued."

"Anything else I need to know?"

"You need to watch for the pirates she's truly scared of."

Without another word, Gray stepped out of the shop and back onto the ill lit portion of the boulevard, mind weighted with the meaning of her words. Taking care of Juvia was harder than it seemed. There was not much he was going to be able to do if he couldn't gain her trust the way the rest of his crew had. If he was completely honest, he was hesitant to get too near her. She brought out the worst side of him without trying.

He didn't like the unbalanced feeling he had when he near her, didn't like the idea that she was out of his reach, didn't like how she battled him for supremacy and yet required direction. Yet for everything he disliked, there was something that pulled him toward her, something that caused him to delay releasing her form his sight. She was a lady of high standing and his ship was not a place she belonged, dressed in the oversized clothes his crew could offer and without any of the luxuries she was used to.

What the hell had he been thinking? He should have directed his ship straight to Crocus instead of sailing to Magnolia.

Gray stopped, weighing his options. Maybe leaving her in Magnolia was not such a bad idea.

A young man pulled through the door in front of him, holding onto a parcel as he waited for a young woman behind him. She exited the shop with a smile as he handed the package to her and redirected her down the seaway. Gray watched them silently as they filtered through the rest of the crowd, a pair of bouys moving within the waves. The contented expression of the woman told him whatever the man had purchased had made her quite happy.

He turned and entered the shop, finding it filled with trinkets and gadgets only upstanding people would deem necessary. They stood in glittering fashion, crafted out of gold, bronze, silver, and mother of pearl, separated by function and price. Jewelry boxes, pill boxes, powder kits and stationary sets filled the shelves, set on display with strategic placement. As he rounded the tables and shelving toward the counter, Gray found his attention caught by lone sapphire plated box. It was closed, but the detail work on the outside felt familiar and comforting, reminiscent of waves and salt and wind.

"You like the music box, sir?"

Music box?

Gray picked it up, pulling the lid open. Seafaring music in a high pitch filed the room, pleasant and calming as the gears rotated, threads of copper producing music so long as the box was open and allowed for it. A music box was a useless item, but it was probably something that Juvia would have owned before she came to be on his ship.

A handful of jewel and multitude of tissue paper later, Gray stepped out of the shop and tried to convince himself he had not bought this as gift, but as a peace offering.


	5. Captivated

**Author's Note:** Whew everyone, I'm back! My wedding was amazing and the honeymoon was fantastic! For anyone interested in pictures, feel free to stop by my Tumblr or Twitter account (both linked to on my profile). Thank you all for your kind words and constructive suggestions! I hope you enjoy the new chapter, I had to split it in two due to length but you can expect Chapter 6 soon after!

**Seas of Change**

_**Chapter 5: Captivated**_

"Sorry love, I can't let you do that."

Juvia could feel herself bristling. Loke leaned across the doorway that lead to the upper deck, blocking the only pathway to freedom. Had it been just Loke, Juvia may have risked catching him off guard with one of the techniques she had learned from Gajeel, but two other men stood sentinel along the ascending stairwell. The sounds of Magnolia's harbor—a mixture of salesman, ship hands, vendors and softly lapping waves—echoed frustratingly beyond her reach. She stepped to the side and Loke set a hand to block the pathway further. It did not matter how she moved, he would adjust his nonchalant slouch and the opening would dissipate.

"Is Juvia only a captive when the opportunity for her to leave arises?" she asked, feeling her hands fist together.

Loke raised an eyebrow, the apologetic way he shrugged his shoulders doing nothing to lessen her anger. "You've been a captive the whole time."

"Why?"

The question appeared to catch him off guard; he blinked a bit, pushing his glasses up slightly. "Captain's orders. What other reason do we need?"

Captain's orders… everything fell back to the same man, and the mixture of emotions he brought with him. The men of his crew were human enough, but their loyalty to him seemed unjustified; how could someone so cold garner so much trust? She had created bonds with his crew as well, and the resentment that their sympathies toward her did not extend beyond Gray's rules both shocked and infuriated her. Then there was Gray himself, which was a subject she did not care to dwell on. The image of him lying half naked in his office jumped to front of her mind; she fought to squash it back to the corners.

Juvia could not fathom how any form of order could be had under rules where captives were treated as deckhands, placed on lock down only when they had the ability to escape. She had tried to make sense out of the arrangements many times, and found herself coming up with no resolution. In all honesty, she had been the one who agreed to begin cooking in exchange for lessons from Gajeel—but what else was she bound to do with herself on the ship? And why would Gray allow an enemy on his ship access to knives and other heavy objects that could be used as weapons?

The idea that she was no viewed as a threat irked her more with each day.

The contemplation on her face seemed to ease Loke a bit. "Now, that look isn't very becoming. A lady as beautiful as you… ease your mind. Why not enjoy the silence on the ship for a change?"

She opened her mouth to retort, but the sound of dozens of boots on wooden floorboards interrupted anything she could have said. Loke lifted a hand, the man closest to the exit standing to peak out the door. As it creaked, orders were shouted and the man moved aside. Loke hesitated in the doorway momentarily before moving backward with a wink.

"Maybe next time, love."

* * *

Men filtered in and out of the kitchens with crates and barrels, stuffing the ice chest with enchanted ice that would not melt and meats that could keep for long periods of time with help of the magic. Dried spices and herbs were hung from hooks near the fire burning oven. Juvia moved about the center placed island counter, trying to wedge her way out of the room and closer to the staircase. The nearer she moved to the dining room, the more often items were placed in her hands and orders were given for where she was to take them.

None of the items took her out of the kitchen. As the ship lurched, she knew they were keeping her as far from the top deck as possible while they loaded and left port. Juvia turned toward the doorway.

If she didn't do something now, she would be trapped on the _Frozen Banshee_. There was no guarantee another opportunity would arise.

Setting the last pack of items on the dining table, she pushed her way past the final pair of men carrying rice, potatoes and oranges. The stairwell was open. Juvia bound up the steps, listening as the commotion on land drew further away with each motion she took. Her pulse quickened as she crested the final step and burst onto the deck; the sounds were distant and Juvia saw water on all sides of her. Magnolia pulled further into the distance as she rounded toward starboard.

She could still see land, but the ship was fast. Juvia moved to hike up her skirts, forgetting for a moment she was in oversized pants and a loose shirt. All the better; if she was going to jump, she would need all the free range of motion she could get.

"Hey, Lady Luck!"

It was Gajeel.

Juvia stopped just as she neared the edge of the ship, at war with herself. It had been Gajeel, in his gruff nature and tough-as-nails exterior, that taught her how to do exactly what she was trying to do now. It was he who had taken guard over her modesty and defended her much like a brother. A bit of guilt crept in her chest. Would he be upset if she abandoned the ship, just like that? He had to know she had no intention of staying.

As Magnolia slipped beyond the horizon, she stepped back.

Had it been anyone but Gajeel, she would have jumped and risked the distance of the swim.

"Gajeel-kun." She turned, masking the disappointment with a smile. "Juvia was—"

He stepped forward with force, shoving a yellow wad of cloth in her face. She stumbled a bit, pulling the fabric from her chest to see what exactly it was he was trying to offer; it was a dress, with puffed sleeves, white buttons and lace trimmings in a size she was sure was a bit too large.

"You can't wear my stuff all the time so… I thought you might need one."

To be fair, it was not the most beautiful dress Juvia had seen, a bit young for her but cute in its own way. She turned to view the back, pulling it toward her body to let him know she accepted the gift. Gajeel crossed his arms, sideways smirk erupting on his face.

"Gihihi. Looks good, Lady Luck."

"Juvia thinks—"

"That thing's hideous! You suck at picking out women's clothes, iron brain." Natsu came across the deck, holding out another bright red dress in Juvia's direction.

"It's not hideous!" Juvia defended, because really… it wasn't _hideous_. It just wasn't fashionable. That didn't mean it wasn't useful. She glanced toward the red dress Natsu held out, noticing it was almost the same design but with a split skirt.

Gajeel growled and stomped toward Natsu. "What was that, Salamander? Look at the dress you got! Red? She has blue hair!"

"So? Red and blue look good together! Better than yellow and blue!"

"The sun's yellow and the sky's blue at least it makes more sense!"

"You're just jealous the dress I bought was better!"

"How do you even know what a dress should look like?"

Natsu tossed the dress, and Juvia stumbled to catch it while the two sailors sized one another up. The rage in Gajeel's face and smugness on Natsu's told her this was not going to end well; she had seen these expressions often enough to know it didn't matter how petty the argument was, it would end in a fight and both of them would be the worse for wear at the end. It seemed to be a tradition on the _Frozen Banshee_ to fight over anything, then sit down to laughter, drinks and merriment over dinner right after.

Holding both dresses tight in her arms, Juvia moved to intervene.

"Gajeel-kun, Natsu-san…."

"You wanna say that again?" Natsu's expression had changed. "Say it to my face!"

"I said you can't know what a woman wears if you've never had one!"

Natsu burst forward, fists flying; Gajeel caught them in time and the struggle continued. Juvia stood to the side, watching them exchange insults and blows across the deck, up the stairwell, over the steering deck. It would only be a moment before the remainder of the crew would begin wagering their bets on the winner, cheering from a safe distance as the two officers battled along the deck. She glanced toward the gowns in her arms, then toward the ocean lined horizon and where Magnolia had been.

For some reason, the anger at missing her chance to escape was more a dull ache than the blazing urgency it had been.

Juvia turned back toward the stairwell, moving toward the only space that was at times her own. The lower deck was silent compared to the commotion above. If anyone was below deck, they were not near the kitchen. She stepped into the dining room, holding the dresses close to her chest while maneuvering about the cramped space so she could enter the kitchen.

She pushed the door open, expecting it to be just as empty as the rest of the lower deck. Instead she found Gray standing by the island.

Juvia stopped, taking in the conflicted expression on his face and the swiftness with which he turned at the sound of the door. It was incriminating, and her lack of trust for him only heightened the sense. They stared at one another without words. What could she say? It was his ship. He was liable to appear where he wanted, when he wanted. They exchanged no pleasantries, avoided one another with the intensity of oil and water, and yet they were alone and drowned out by the fight's commotion.

She fidgeted, palm sweating as she removed it from the door.

"Did you need something from Juvia?" she asked, struggling to keep hold of his gaze. The way he looked at her was heavy with things she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

"No." he answered shortly. "I was making sure you were okay."

That caught her off guard. Hesitantly she inched her way into the room, setting the dress on the mattress she had pushed into the corner. Natsu had said Gray told him to bring it to her. Her fingers twitched, heart suddenly pounding. Juvia couldn't figure him out, and that frightened her.

"Juvia would be better if she had been released at port." She didn't turn around.

Behind her, Gray shifted; the sound of his clothing rubbing together, boots pressing damply into the wooden flooring, the swishing of his unbutton navy blue coat, the exposed skin beneath- Juvia's face flushed bright red. Her body anticipated his response but it never came. There was a moments silence before the flooring creaked with his weight and the sound of the door closing behind him. She let out a sigh, holding her hands close to her chest to calm the racing beat inside before she turned.

It was then she noticed the parcel sitting on the counter wrapped neatly in tissue paper and tied crudely with a piece of fisherman's twine. It hadn't been there when she walked in; that part of the counter had been clearly visible despite Gray's form blocking part of it from view. With caution she lifted it and pulled the paper away layer by layer.

* * *

Gray stomped up the stairwell to the main deck, past the throngs of men collecting their winnings from the now ended fight, through the door to his cabins, and stopped only once he made it to the center of the room. His eyes bore holes into the floor. What the hell had that been? He could feel his blood rushing along his temples, swirling in his stomach, reaching to all of his extremities. He just dropped a package off in the kitchen, but once she entered it was as if he treaded into a space that was hers—an area of his ship that did not belong to him.

Maybe his attempts to avoid her had done more damage than good. The haste in which he retreated had not been out of guilt for trespassing in her space. If he was honest, it was out of confusion over the way her gaze had triggered an immediate raise in his temperature; it took all he had to stay dressed up until this point. Her voice hadn't helped matters. Keeping her at a distance was supposed to remove the problem of her catching him off guard and getting under his skin. The problem had only intensified; the site of her had drawn out things Gray knew better than to feel.

That didn't mean he could stop it once it happened.

He needed to get her off his ship before he did something that couldn't be taken back or covered up with anger and tense interactions.

Gray stalked to his desk, tossing aside the jacket he had been wearing and rolling his shoulders to welcome in what little chill was in the air. They weren't quite in the arctic waters yet, but in a few hours the temperature he was used to would bleed through the poorly insulated walls and at least that would be one thing that would feel right. It was out of the way to sail in the polar regions, but ironically for them it was the safest. No one would follow them into the ice fields. They could traverse the waters with his expertise and chose their targets from the enchanted navigational map he had purchased from Ultear years ago. They just need wait for a ship to appear within the radius the map could sense.

He leaned against the desk instead of sitting in the chair, eyes settled on the glowing, rotating object that connected him to the false soothsayer of Magnolia. It hung suspended, warm to the touch but never melting, a steadfast reminder. Ur died on that hunk of ice; they only had a part of it as Ultear's spell had required something of equally grave value to both of them in order to form the magic connection that allowed her to keep track of him.

Gray closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh, feeling himself center again. He was a pirate because of what happened on that iceberg, and he knew better than to let someone close enough to be hurt the same way.

The noises outside had died down, replaced with some repulsive noises Gray was familiar enough with to know was seasickness. He would have to get someone to clean up after Natsu and Gajeel later.

Right now he needed a drink.

* * *

It took Juvia a few days before she finally concluded that she could neither make sense of why nor could she deny that the item Gray had left behind was intended for her. She had attempted to return it and it would end up back where she had found it the first time; she would question the crew, and no one seemed to recognize the piece. On the third day she tried to approach Gray to return it, but he seemed to sense her and kept himself busy with ship inspections, navigation, or inventories to keep her at bay.

By the end of the week, she gave up. It was meant for her, and he didn't seem to want the item back or to discuss why he had given it to her in the first place. As she lay upon the mattress well after dark, room illuminated by an oil lamp that sat on the floor beside her, Juvia held the intricately carved sapphire box and hesitated opening it. The glass and gold detailing reminded her of the sea at sunrise, it's most calming time right before the sun warmed the air enough to be considered temperate.

Juvia had never owned something so exquisite.

With deft fingers she tilted the lid back, a mermaid lifting inside the box along with the haunting, seafaring music the tines of copper created as the gears pulled into motion. A small light glimmered behind the mermaid spun on her mother-of-pearl tail, a secondary chorus sounding as the tune completed its rotation and began again. Juvia's eyes closed as she listened to the sorrowfully hopeful tune; she knew the words of the song from the children at the orphanage. They would sing it as if it were any other nursery rhyme, with giggles and shouts of joy.

It was comforting.

She moved to close the music box, interrupted as the ship violently shook with the force of what sounded like a blast; Juvia cradled the box as the room quivered. The explosion occurred three more times before she heard the rushing of boots across the deck, the shouts of the crew and Gray's voice heralding the on. Juvia was up, the music box stashed safely away, and out the kitchens in her yellow dress, bounding quickly up the staircase. Sailors filtered past her without a second thought.

"Natsu, the cannons!"

"I'm already fired up!"

"Gajeel—ready the weapons."

"Give the word!"

Juvia burst onto the main deck into the middle of the foray, men collecting their weapons and hooting their approval for the upcoming battle. The ship moved again with three more consecutive cannon blasts, Juvia losing her footing and falling flat onto the deck. She lifted her head, her eyes scanning for someone who would listen to her. Were they under attack? Catching sight of a pair of boots on the port side of the ship that stood still against the motion, she glanced upward while pulling herself into a seated position.

Gray stood fiercely solid against the movements of his crew, sword lifted high, feathered hat upon his head. His expression was commanding and domineering, voice fierce as he directed the crew to their positions. The jacket he wore billowed in the ocean spray as the ship lurched toward port and he stood tall, sturdy, at the ready in the trails of moonlight the filtered from nightmare clouds high in the sky. Juvia found she was in awe, warmth enveloping her body and pulling a deep flush along the exposed parts of her neck and chest.

At this moment, he was more than she ever realized he was.

"Loke, sharp!"

The ship turn at a startlingly quick pace, men preparing themselves to leap from the _Frozen Banshee_ to whichever craft lay in the inky depths of midnight. Juvia struggled to her feet and regained her posture just as Gray gave the command to infiltrate. Her adrenaline began pumping as the crew bellowed their war cries, finding herself racing to the edge of the ship and past Gray. The ship they had opened fire on was already slowed by two damaged sails, an Imperial Navy flag flying in tatters. They were close enough Juvia could stretch two lengths of her own arm to touch the hull.

"Stop!"

The words were out of her mouth before she knew who she was speaking to, reaching to the first shipmate within her grasp and stopping his motion to the other ship. He glanced at her in confusion before shaking her off. Juvia scrambled, looking for someone who would listen to her; why were they doing this? They just restocked at Magnolia, did they truly need to attack an Imperial ship?

Her hands landed on Gajeel, yanking him away from the crew he directed.

"What the hell?"

"Why are you doing this?!" her voice was urgent. "It's pointless!"

"You don't understand anything, do you?" He shrugged her off. "We're pirates, Lady Luck."

"You just filled your ship with supplies! What are you going to get out of this?"

"This one ain't about that." Gajeel growled, lifting himself atop the ships side. "This one's personal."

She stepped back as he pressed off, swinging away into the murkiness of war. Juvia turned back toward the few remaining members of the crew who were on board, directing the flow of weapons. Gray stood on the edging of the ship, giving his final commands to those who would remain in support on the ship. His eyes swept the deck once more before landing on her.

Juvia narrowed her own in response, feeling the look of distaste growing about her lips. He made no response, simply dipped his head and motioned for the crew to take her away. She didn't go away simply or calmly, kicking and fighting, demanding answers. They dragged her across the deck from the battle, and as the room they closed her in shut she was as Gray disappeared into the darkness.


	6. Tale of Misfits

**Author's Note:** Thank you for your kind words! Just as a reminder, this story is supposed to read similar to a romance novel, and it IS based off the book Juvia read in my story _Guilty Pleasures_ per request of MizWrite/Squisherific (congrats to those of you who made the connection!). It is intended to read with very thick tension and fast paced, unpredictable romance. Be prepared!

**Seas of Change**

_**Chapter 6: Tale of Misfits**_

That night, the celebration aboard the _Frozen Banshee_ was beyond anything Juvia had seen; the men burst into her kitchen, enamored with drink and craving for a feast. She found herself tossed about the room, pushed in differing directions with their drunkenness and demands for breads, cakes, meats and rum. The space filled up quickly with the smells of sweat, blood and alcohol, Juvia pressed uncomfortably close to the counters as they pressed food toward her.

"Make the breads!"

"Damn the bread, the meats! The meats!"

There was _blood_. Had they killed tonight? She had not been released from the small containment room they had locked her in until the battle had ended, smoke billowing from the neighboring ship as the sailor came forth. From there she was escorted back to the kitchen she called a room.

Juvia steeled herself and glanced the three men in front of her directly in the eye with a stare she was unaware she had; the anger bubbling beneath her skin, easily seen with the way it drew forth and patched her face with red. "Juvia does not cook for murderers!"

The man on the right slammed his rum down, splashing about the countertops and floor. "Then get outta the way, woman!"

They flung her from the room, men lifting and touching her in ways she had never been touched before, lifted high above so they could filter her out quickly over their heads. She was dropped to the floor once they had her in the dining room; Juvia caught herself a bit haphazardly, feet slipping with the dampness brought from naval warefare. Half the men were sea soaked and they brought that along with them without much care.

It had been a long time since she felt this cold toward the crew. The captain had always been one thing, but the utter joy they took in destroying lives and the fight was a lust she could not appreciate. The calm on the ship in the few weeks since her capture had eluded her from their true qualities, and a stone set in her heart. They were no different than she had heard all her life. What qualities had she believed she was seeing in them all this time?

They were just pirates.

"Lady Luck!" Gajeel lumbered toward her, ignorant of her mood, an arm draping around her shoulder as he steered her toward the table. "It's time to celebrate!"

A mug of ale sloshed toward her; Juvia hit it with the back of her hand, sending it flying into the wall. Instead of the quiet an act like that would cause on a normal day, the men shouted their approval and handed her another drink. She jerked out of Gajeel's hold, looking for an out from the dining hall. Every step she took another glass was pulled her way, more hands tried to pull her toward the table, more requests for food.

"Hey, hey…" Gajeel followed the trail she made through the deckhands, turning her toward him. "Don't be like that. Is this about earlier? Damn women are difficult…"

"Do not touch Juvia." There was ice in her voice, liquid and toxic.

"I was goin' to apologize." He pulled his hands back and crossed his arms. "You're making it damn hard."

"Juvia wouldn't accept it." She bit back. Despite the anger, she could feel the sting of tears at the corner of her eyes.

Betrayed—out of everyone on the ship, she thought Gajeel would understand that this was not something she approved of and would help to keep her from being drawn into it. She understood it was in his nature to find a thrill in a fight, but the lack of remorse that should have come with the blood upon his clothes, the way he wanted her to join in the revelry... it hurt. The tears were stubborn and she lifted a hand to wipe them away, the motion quick and full of rage.

His loyalty to Gray was stronger than the bond they had developed. She had been a fool to think differently.

He straightened, eyes narrowing. "You just don't get it, do you?"

"What is there for Juvia to understand?" she opened her mouth to continue, but another pair of hands pulled her from the shoulders up atop the table. Gajeel grunted and turned away toward the kitchen.

It was Natsu, pulling her into some sort of dance across the wooden table top to the men on the opposite side of the room. He swung her around by her arms, tilting her down into the space of the sailors as they lifted their drinks, hooting and chanting. They offered her drinks, suggested she come below deck before the others would knock them over the head. They sang songs, some of them played instruments as crudely as the others sang to bring about the beat she found herself spinning to upon Natsu's command.

The anger she felt for their reason of celebration slowly became overrun by the embarrassment of them wanting to include her.

Once Juvia reached the end of the table as Natsu spun her away from him, she stumbled to recover her footing. The men about her moved to catch her fall as if they anticipated it with the tone of the music and it was all part of the game. Instead of falling, a warm pair of hands reached about her waist with a tight hold and plucked her from above their heads. If the men noticed, the drunkenness and arrival of hastily made food distracted them as the man holding her swept her out of the room and up the stairwell.

She watched from above his shoulder as the door to the dining hall closed, shutting off the better part of the noise before they entered onto the main deck. Juvia lifted her hands to fight him off, but her feet met the floor and he had moved away from her before she could do anything. A large coat billowed about him before he walked from her toward the steering deck and she was left alone in the chill of the evening.

* * *

He wasn't sure why he did that, but her body was soft and small in his hold and Gray would be lying if he said it hadn't felt nice. The frustrated patches of red on her apple rounded cheeks and the glistening of tears in the corners of her eyes as she fought of the merriment of the crew, refused their drinks, the anger in her face toward Gajeel—all of it told him that she needed to be out of the room. It was a feeling he could understand.

So he removed himself from the corner he had been observing his crew in and pulled her out of the celebration and into the frigidity of the arctic air. He stepped away from her and toward the steering well, ascending the stairs in a slow manner. They had taken a bit of cannon fire, but nothing that had caused irreparable damage to the ship. One had gone through the main mast which would slow them until it could be patched, and another had rolled just across the top of the steering deck. Floor boards poked up in all directions, but the wheel was still in place. So long as the ship was not taking on water and they could direct it, it was in as good of shape as ever.

Gray was four steps from the top when he heard her padding toward him across the deck.

"Why?" she cried, the anger apparent in her voice. "Why are you doing this?"

He continued his ascent. Maybe bringing her on deck had been a bad idea; better for her, but more trouble for him as he could sense the fire building within her. Her feet pounded up the stairwell behind him as he took hold of the wheel and redirected their path. They would have to land in Torenju earlier than expected for repairs.

"Those men do not have to be killers and yet when they follow you that is exactly what they become!"

Gray stiffened at the sound of her voice and accusation; his men were not killers, and as quickly as his instinct told him to defend his crew another told him he had no reason to justify what they did to this woman. Juvia would not be on his ship forever. Her judgment of them did not matter regardless of how it bothered him. He glanced in her direction, taking in the way her hair lay half pulled back and falling out in unexpectedly attractive angles, skin flushed and her chest heaving visibly at the exposed neckline of her gown. Juvia's eyes were direct and fiercely beautiful, commanding a response from him to he was wary to offer.

"Juvia does not understand you. Everything you do and the power you have over your men, how you can be so cold and distant and yet they follow you as if you are a savior." She grit out, the frustration building in her shoulders as she drew closer to him. "Why would someone who commands the destruction of ships, takes people captive and holds them in the hulls of his deck—how is that the same man who pulls splinters from the hands of his captives?"

He turned away from her; looking at Juvia was dangerous. Did she not realize that everything she said about him—the way he could be distant and yet he commanded power—was the same thing she seemed to do to him? She pointed out the inconsistencies without caution toward how he would react, as if she felt entitled to displaying the flaws in the image he had presented her.

"You let Juvia cook in your kitchen, you let her use your knives and train to fight. You give Juvia all of these freedoms but refuse to let her go? You command her blockaded in the-"

He closed his eyes. "Magnolia is nowhere near Crocus. Would you have known how to get back?"

"Juvia would have found a way."

Gray allowed them to slip in silence; she was headstrong and determined, but he could tell she knew little of the world he did. She had most likely grown up in a large family estate with people who could pay to get her from place to place—perhaps her father was an entrepreneur with contacts in Magnolia, or her mother's sisters lived there and it was her family that lived abroad.

The silence stretched to the point Gray was sure the conversation had ended, but Juvia's voice broke through as he maneuvered the further into the ice fields.

"Why did you give Juvia a musicbox?"

"I thought it would remind you of home." He responded too quickly for his liking. "Women of society like frivolous things."

It was her turn to be silent; Gray waged the atmosphere. She was far enough away that he couldn't feel her warmth, but the way her breath condensed the air with steam was still noticeable in his peripheral vision. The color of her gown contrasted with her surroundings enough to garner his attention; he could place her, imagine the way she was looking at him.

"Is that what this is?" Juvia asked, her voice suddenly rising in tone. "You think Juvia comes from a rich family, who is hoping for her safe return? You think Juvia has people who love her enough to pay you handsomely if you bring her back to Crocus?"

Gray turned his attention from the sea and instead to her as her voice lost its hints of restraint; her hands were fisted at her side in a way he had not seen since the night he attacked her ship and she attacked his men. Blue hair cascaded over her shoulders where it had come loose from the tie, while her eyes focused on the floor. The air was cold, but in that moment Gray knew the tension between them was not. It was blazing.

"That is what Juvia is to all of you—a ransom?! Juvia is nothing!" she lifted her head.

He couldn't look away. Tears formed in the corners of her eyes, angry and resentful in contrast to the depths of loneliness he could see echoed in her expression. Her teeth grit together, lips opened and fighting to form between a snarl and quivering frown. A small, half hearted chuckle erupted before she reached to wipe the water from her cheeks.

"Juvia grew up in an orphanage! She has no family and no one to worry about her if she is gone! If a ransom is what you want Captain Gray, you will be sorely disappointed. No one wants Juvia enough to pay to get her back!"

She was crying, and suddenly everything Gray thought he knew about her crumbled apart and exposed her for what she truly was. "That was a vacation vessel meant for high societal guests…"

"Juvia still lives at the orphanage, and she was on her way back from bringing children to families they may have never had the chance to have if she did not escort them." The tears were slowly, but she maintained eye contact as she spoke. "That is what Juvia does. That is who Juvia is."

* * *

She could see the conflict etched upon his face. In that instant, Juvia was sure she was as near to hating another person as she had ever been. All the kind acts of the crew, the provisions they had provided for her—all of it had been with the expectation of getting everything back a hundred fold. She was an avenue to income, a pawn and anything but a threat. She was a way for easy meals and entertainment.

The sounds of the ocean calmed her only slightly as the moonlit hide behind the clouds. The darker it grew on the deck, the colder the air became and the more Juvia wished to remain rooted to the place she was.

Now that she was worthless to them, what would Gray do with her?

"We're all orphans."

Gray's hands tightened on the ship wheel before pulled it sharply to starboard. Juvia wobbled with the movement of the ship, taking hold of the banister to kept her balance as the vessel turned sharply in the direction Gray wanted.

The word orphans drew an unexpected ping of guilt in her heart. "All of you?"

"Look around at the men in my crew—who would spend their life at sea if they had something to go home to?" he asked. "I don't need to justify to you what we do, but none of us would be here if we did not have a reason. Where would any of us fit on shore?"

"There has to be something else you could be doing…"

He shook his head. "You don't understand."

"Stop saying that!" Juvia could feel the anger building up again—it had been the same thing Gajeel told her. "Juvia understands more than anything what it is like to have nothing, but she has found a way to get by—"

"They were killed."

She stopped, noticing only then that she had stepped close enough that she could touch him if she wanted, could feel his warmth. When she expected a sharp expression on his face, Gray appeared calm and reserved. The way he handled the ship wheel told a different story than his face, knuckles white and skin creased with the pressure of his grip.

Juvia's voice softened. "Who was killed?"

"Our families—Natsu and Gajeel remember their fathers stowing them away in a trap door under the floorboards and the way their mothers begged and the sound of their bodies hitting the floor. Loke grew up well to do until his family was killed and he escaped into the streets. Everyone here has a story and a reason to do what we do." Gray continued. "They say they are there to protect, but all they do is kill to get what they want. Have you ever wondered why we were able to port in a city like Magnolia? It's corruption."

"What about you?" she asked the question before she thought better of it.

Gray was silent, a sneer growing at the corners of his lips. There was a glean in his eye she had seen before, the one that allowed him to command his men in a way that had them falling in line with desire to succeed, defeat and destroy. It was anger like she had never felt, hatred she had never known. It affected her in ways she couldn't understand, an underlying fear that drew forth a need to run and a compassion that told her she needed to stay.

"They weren't my real family, but they were all I had." He said. She could tell the words were hard for him to say, but he continued. "Ur ran a fishing business her husband had begun before he died. She already had a daughter but she took me in, the same as she had Lyon. She was strict but she was a good teacher and we became a family out on that boat. The Navy attacked, our boat crashed into the ice fields."

Juvia found herself glancing toward the water, eyeing with new found wariness the close proximity Gray sailed his ship to the icebergs, almost as if he were challenging them to take him down. She knew from the men that Gray felt safest in the ice fields, where no one would follow them and only he was able to direct a large vessel. Now she was beginning to understand why.

"They wouldn't follow us, but they kept shooting even as Ur was pulling us off the boat and hiding us in the icebergs. She was three times before she got us all to safety. She died on the iceberg and they never came to claim a prize." He ground out the words, his anger growing. "They had no reason to attack, it was for sport and Ur was their prize."

It started snowing and the wind picked up, rocking the ship enough that Gray had to reassert his control over the direction it moved. Juvia found in the same moment that her understanding of Gray and his crew had been exactly as Gajeel had told her—wrong. They were not what she thought they were, bloodthirsty and vile. They were men without a home, wronged by the people that were supposed to protect them. Where were they supposed to live, other than at sea where they could be freed from the rules of an establishment they despised?

Juvia neared him and hesitantly set a hand on the ship wheel. "How did you get off the iceberg?"

"A pirate ship came near enough and took us in exchange for deckhand duties. We had the skill and the strength, and we stayed with them for a few years until the mutiny. Lyon took over the ship. Ultear chose to live on land and refused to go to sea again. I took one of the flagships and found my own crew."

"You took them all in then… all of the men?"

Gray nodded.

He had told her they had to do this in order to survive, and Juvia found she was beginning to understand why. She was alone and had made some semblance of peace with that, but Gray had instead pulled the seemingly misfit men together to create a new home and family, one that was held together by the same ideals and similar circumstance. His men followed him because he gave them what they needed—a place to fit in, a life free from the governance that had wronged them. He created the opportunity to live freely. He had saved them and given them the same chance that Ur had given to him.

Juvia lowered her eyes as the wind picked up, shivering as the snow and wind increased. Goosebumps grew along the exposed skin at the hems of her dress, but she stood still as she analyzed the stories Gray had told her.

"It's too cold for you to be out here." Gray's voice was deep and directing, similar to the tone he had used when she found him half naked at his desk.

She shook her head. "Juvia likes the sea at night; it helps her think, and right now Juvia needs to think."

"You're shivering."

"Juvia is fine."

Gray let go of the wheel, reaching for the few clasped buttons at the top of his coat. The coat came off in the same movement, and before Juvia could protest Gray had set it about her shoulders. Standing face to face to him, close enough to feel his breath on her skin as he attached the top two buttons to hold the blue and gold jacket in place over shoulders, Juvia found herself warming in ways that had nothing to do with the added clothing.

He moved slowly, remaining in her space with his eyes focused on what he was doing. Juvia could smell the salty scent of the sea, sweat and wood on his skin, noticed how it remained undisturbed by the cold. Without his jacket his chest and back were fully exposed to the snow and wind, yet it was as if the heat he produced was strong enough to repel the affects of the chill. Juvia's eyes, in spite of herself, took in the muscular motions in his shoulders, the tautness of his neck, the angle of his chin—

She had not noticed his hands had stopped moving, had not noticed the way his gaze moved from the buttons to the expression on her face—she noticed nothing until he had already dipped in their lips were touching.

The kiss was soft and he held her in place, his hands shaking as if he were prepared to stop her if she were to turn away. Instead Juvia found her eyes closing and her lips responding to the motions of his own, hands lifting to touch any part of him she could manage a hold of. Her fingertips brushed along his abdomen before she felt him pull her away.

She caught the look of shock on his face as he let her go, the quick way he turned his attention back to the sea, the stiffness in how he held himself. Juvia's hands filtered toward her lips, to the fire in her stomach the kiss had caused.

"Gray…." His name fell of her lips with a tenderness she didn't realize she felt for him. He twitched.

"You should go below deck." This time it was not a suggestion, it was a command. "Now."


	7. To Torenju

**Author's Notes:** Yet again, thank you for all the comments! I am glad the chapter went over so well. For those of you in the US, I hope you had a Happy Thanksgiving! And to all of my followers/readers, I hope you had a Merry Christmas! To EVERYONE—Happy New Year and Happy Valentine's Day! I think that covers all the holidays right?

_**Seas of Change**_

_**Chapter 7: To Torenju**_

Once Gray was sure Juvia had retreated below deck, he removed his vice grip off the ship wheel. His breath came in large puffs of fog while he assessed the situation and the warmth still lingering on his lips. He had kissed her. He kissed Juvia. She kissed him _back_.

_ What the hell was wrong with him?_

She was cold, he could see her shivering, and was offering his coat before he could think twice about it. That was all the motion was intended for, and somehow the proximity had pulled him closer until his lips were on hers. Gray had lost the battle to control himself around her. At what point the tension had evolved from animosity to something more primal, he couldn't say, but the fact remained that he had kissed her and he couldn't take things back to how they had been.

Listening to her story had affected him. All the ways he had painted her to believe she was out of reach had crumbled, and what now lay between them was the unuttered truth that they were quite similar. Circumstance may have differed, but they were both alone for much of their life with bruises and scars that no one could see, searching for the same thing—a home.

"Am I to assume that means she's staying?"

Gray stiffened, turning at the sound of the voice. Of all the people to be on deck and sober, it had to be Loke. His boatswain stood to the side in the shadows, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his nose before he moved into the moonlight with a swift motion and smooth grin. Anyone else would know to keep their mouth shut; Loke would never let him live this down. He knew his way around women far too well.

"Gray, you do realize you can't keep pushing her away now."

"It was nothing."

Loke stood at his side, arms crossed. "Maybe for you, but it won't be for her."

The way he said it, Gray knew Loke didn't believe him. He didn't answer. The orange haired man smiled knowingly, turning slightly to head toward the stairwell.

"I'll keep your secret." Loke answered. "But if I were you I wouldn't wait to make your next move. Someone else may take her before you can."

* * *

Her face was still red; Juvia could feel the heat rising from her chest beneath Gray's warm blue coat as the memory flooded her again. He had kissed her. Everything that had happened, and he had kissed her and she had liked it. She wanted more of it. The urge called from places within her she had not been aware existed.

What did that say about her, a woman who had fallen in love with her captor? Could she say she was in love? It wasn't as if Juvia had never been kissed before—there had been Bora, years ago on Crocus—but none of the kisses she knew had felt as that one had. She couldn't deny that he was attractive in a way that felt sinful, and despite herself she was beginning to understand and sympathize with the way he had chosen to live his life. The loneliness that she fought to keep at bay rang out in his story, and she could hurt along with his hurts.

His lips were delicious too.

Juvia shook her head, eyes closed as she knelt upon the bedding in the kitchen floor. It had been only moments before she had despised him with every ounce of her being, and yet now the heat that rose under her skin was not for rage but an angry lust. Lust for more of him and the comfort of his touch, the soft hardness of his kiss; her mind was swimming with images of what may have happened had he not had the control he did. She knew she had none. The moment he had touched her, she had melted into him as if it had truly been what she had wanted all along.

The conflicting emotions boiled over with an intensity that made her woozy.

All of the men on this ship were just like her—orphans. This was their home and the only thing that they knew. Gray watched his special people die and then took in other who had the same experience. The men fought for him because he gave them a place to belong and each person had become a brother; the _Frozen Banshee_ was more than just a ship to them, it was where they took their meals, grew together and made their living, a floating nation of their own making. When they were cast aside, this was the open arms that called them to comfort and companionship. They were only fighting to protect what they had built together.

It was to them what Juvia had wanted her entire life; a family.

* * *

The ship and its crew were slow to rise that morning; a fog held over as they travelled from the cool sea into warmer waters, the mixture causing steam to rise from the waves and envelope the deck with its mist. Juvia had awaken far earlier than the rest, stepping over drunken sailors and the discarded remains of their victory celebration to reach the dew covered, battle damaged banister. For all of the fire fight from the previous night, she was surprised the ship was still in working order; there would be a lot of clean up to be done and the ship was worse for wear, but it was safe to sail.

She was sure they would have to port soon, if for no other reason than repairs.

Her night had been restless, mind jumping between need for rest, the stories of the crew she had misunderstood and the kiss that had broken her resolve and left her emotions up for debate. Despite the early morning viewing the sunrise over the ocean, Juvia was unable to decipher Gray's intentions with the motion. He had sent her away as quickly as it had occurred without so much as a look back.

She pulled the coat tighter about her, fingers running along the ribbing and gold buttons that decorated the sleeves and chest. He had not requested his jacket back, and Juvia found she had no desire to take it off. She slept wrapped in its folds and now stood out on the deck with it draped about her shoulders. Was it hers now?

"It seems you've finally found a proper coat."

The voice beside her was smooth and easily recognizable; Loke turned to lean against the railing, unreadable smile upon his face. Juvia felt her cheeks turning pink as if she had be caught doing something she shouldn't have been; what did he make of it? Did he realize the jacket belonged to Gray? What would he think that meant?

He leaned toward her. "You've become his woman then?"

She jumped at the accusation, feeling her face redden. "N-no! Juvia… Juvia is…she has…"

"Come to an understanding?" he suggested, eyebrow lifting.

Juvia pressed her lips together, watching the way Loke's eyes analyzed her. It was as if he were reading her every motion to betray whatever she would say, like he knew that deep down she had a secret that even she wasn't aware she was keeping. "Juvia… believes so."

"So I should stop pursuing you then?"

"Loke should have never been pursuing Juvia to begin with!"

He shrugged his shoulders. "You're a beautiful woman and you had no attachments; what did I have to lose?"

"Who said Juvia was available?" the redness on her cheeks was darkening the further into this spiraling conversation she fell.

"So you've been his since the beginning?"

"Juvia—" she stopped, realizing she had fallen into his trap.

It mattered not what she said now, everything would point back to the butterflies in her stomach and the way her body turned to fire anytime Gray was near. Loke was too sharp to miss that. Juvia turned her attention back to the ocean, counting the time between each wave that lapped upon the ships hull. Had she always felt this way about Gray, as Loke said?

Maybe she had—if she were honest with herself, a lot of her anger toward him had been because he was such a beautiful man in such an ugly profession and she could not paint him as both gorgeous and dangerous. How dare he appear as the man of her dreams and yet not act as kind as the one she always dreamed of?

"You're thinking about him."

"Juvia is not!"

"It's okay." Loke answered slowly, adjusting his glasses. "I'll keep your secret. He is going to be difficult to reign in completely, so I'll help you out instead."

The offer captured her attention. "You will help Juvia?"

Loke lifted an arm, placing it about her shoulders and gently leading her across the deck. "Of course—you're going to need it."

* * *

His crew worked tirelessly throughout the day, but the ship was still a mess. Natsu's initial reports on the damage had been mediocre; the further they dug, the more damage they found and the more expensive and prolonged their time in Torenju became. They patched what they could and transported the goods from the damaged rooms to safer, drier areas. Half the men moved their sleeping mats from the bunkered ship rooms to the halls to escape the chill from the split boards and holes, most of the ships weapon supply had been destroyed and Gray stood with his captains log assessing the damage caused by the kiss.

It was the last thing he needed to be thinking about but Juvia continued to invade his thoughts amiss the disaster that was the _Frozen Banshee_. There was an awkwardness he was unsure he wanted to bridge. He had been lucky up until this point to have not seen her; at some point Natsu would lead him to the only corner of the ship she could be in after they'd combed each board, wall and door. He wouldn't be able to avoid her forever.

"Hey, ice dick, look."

Gray hit Natsu behind the head, ignoring his protests before he looked at what his first mate was pointing out. The hull of his ship had caved in over the cannon hall, the hole wider than he and Natsu could spread their arms out standing side by side. Ocean water lapped inside as they sailed forward, leaking to the lower floors and dragging out weapons, canons and goods.

To hell with the log; he would be lucky if he didn't have to buy a whole damn ship.

"Where's Gajeel?"

"Haven't seen him since last night, but he's gotta be somewhere."

"Some damn Master Gunner. He should have been in here and had this patched and the gunpowder stored somewhere dry before got here."

Natsu shrugged as if this was no concern of his. "You told us to celebrate. He's probably passed out in the latrine."

"Go get him."

"You kidding? This stuff's long gone, there's nothing to save."

The ship rocked, both seamen fighting for balance against the swell. Water splashed into the room, splashing over Gray's boots. His first mate shifted to lean on a support ballast, face green and unamused by the shifting of the sea. Gray kicked one of the ruined gunpowder buckets in Natsu's direction. The action was rehearsed and familiar; sometimes he wondered why Natsu bothered staying on the ship at all when he was prone to seasickness.

"Don't you throw up all over my ship."

"You mean what's left of it?" Loke rounded the stairwell and doorway, hovering just beyond the sounds of Natsu's illness, eyes viewing the hole in the side of the ship. "That doesn't look good, Captain."

Gray huffed a bit, turning from the hole toward his boatswain. "It'll take more than a few navy canon balls to take down the _Frozen Banshee_."

"We're three days out from Torenju unless we get a favorable wind." Loke offered.

"Better be the clearest three days at sea we've ever had. It'll just take a storm to take us down with damage like this." Natsu grumbled, tossing his seasick bucket out the hole and stumbling toward the stairwell.

Gray paused, glancing once more over the destroyed gunning level of his ship. It had not been that long ago they upgraded the weaponry and it all sat in water soaked ruins, floor boards creaking under the weight of steel and iron. The wood was soggy and squished with his footsteps. They would be lucky if the floor did not cave before they made it to shore.

"Can you get us there in two?" he asked, turning toward the men.

"Of course, if you give permission for the emergency sails Ultear enchanted for you."

"Take them."

Natsu continued up the stairwell, mumbling that he was taking a break for a bit; Gray didn't bother telling him they still had another wing of the ship to inspect, the damage was already beyond numbers he cared to tally. The main concern had turned from the cost of repairing his ship to how he would get his crew to Torenju before the cannons busted through the floor. He didn't plan on adding his crew to the list of sunken sailors who joined the sea queens undead court.

"Two days Loke." Gray repeated.

"What are you going to do with Juvia?" he asked.

Gray's eyes narrowed slightly. "What do you mean?"

"The kitchen is beneath the gunner floor. If the cannons fall, they are going to fall on her."

Silence fell between the two men, Loke's expression knowing and frustrating, Gray's cold and firm. He knew well enough that the kitchens had a poor chance of remaining safe through the remainder of the trip, and his crew had a hard enough time finding places to rest with the damage to his ship. The space he had confined her in was the only space she had. He knew the card Loke was trying to play, and Gray was not happy with it.

"Move her out of the kitchen and tell her to find somewhere to stay with the men. It doesn't matter to me where."

His answer bought him a shake of Loke's head. "Of course."

"If you don't like it, give her your quarters."

"I may just share them with her."


	8. Alliance

**Author's Note:** I know… where have I been? No worries I am back to write for all of you! Let the swashbuckling adventuress continue!

**Seas of Change**

_**Chapter 8: Alliance**_

A knock came to the door late in the afternoon; at least Juvia assumed it was afternoon. The cabin Loke had set her up in had no portholes or windows. She shifted on the bed, busy pulling her hair back as the knocker entered without her permission. Then again there wasn't much she could do to stop that. They were his rooms too.

"Yet again I have failed to catch you in a state of indecency." Loke lamented, adjusting his glasses. "Perhaps that's for the best. I've been sent to fetch you."

She finished tying the ribbon holding her hair in the high ponytail before she turned to him. He was one to jest, but Loke had gladly bunked elsewhere while Juvia used his rooms and he had been gentleman for the most part. Gajeel hadn't been too keen on her staying in his rooms but there truly was nowhere else for her to go. The kitchens were off limits so long as the cannons risked crashing through the floor, and most of the other men bunked together or the cabins had been destroyed in the battle.

"Fetch Juvia?"

Loke closed the door and gave her a once over. "You can't wear that dress."

"What's wrong with Juvia's dress?"

He shifted toward a small chest in the corner of the room where he kept his own clothing, flipping the lid open and rummaging through it. Juvia's hands crimped the red fabric of her gown. It seemed decent enough to her.

"Nothing is wrong, but we are about to dock in Torenju and we'll all be leaving the ship." He answered honestly. "No one likes to mess with Gray more than I do, but not at the risk of your safety."

"Juvia's safety?"

He surfaced shortly after with a pair of wide legged beige pants and a white shirt, tossing them onto the bed. "Torenju is a pirate city. A lady in a gown in this town is not truly a lady."

"How is that any different than being on a ship full of pirates?"

"Not all pirates are gentlemen." He responded. "Let's not risk you drawing the attention of the wrong people."

Juvia moved to retort—she had heard of what a rake Loke could be and his taste for fine women—but chose not to. If anyone knew the attention she could garner in Torenju, it would be him. For the most part, the men on Gray's ship were more talk than action and had simply been rude. No one had tried to sully her. The caution with which Loke chose how to present her garnered a familiar fear in the pit of her stomach. She had been convinced that the men of the _Frozen Banshee_ were as terrible as the pirates she had read about in Crocus; if they were afraid of her being in Torenju, what was the rest of the pirate world like?

Loke took his hands and messed up the perfectly pulled back ponytail Juvia had slaved over. Once he was satisfied he stepped back. "I think the captain would consider that acceptable."

"The captain asked you to prepare me?"

"In not so many words." He shrugged.

Juvia could feel her cheeks flushing. There had been so much silence between them since the kiss on the navigational deck that she had nearly forgotten the jittery feeling that resided with the mention of his name. He was insufferably difficult and that drew her attention more than she liked to admit. The problem was that there was nothing else she could do about it. For all his distance, he had made it a point to leave someone in charge of keeping her safe.

She collected the clothing Loke had offered, the fact that she would be leaving the ship finally dawning on her.

She could escape.

She could be free.

Her stomach knotted at the prospect, a mixture of guilt and excitement.

"When do we dock?"

* * *

Gray was exhausted.

The two day trip to Torenju had been rigorous; Loke and Natsu had not pushed the ship hard enough and Gray took over without a wink of sleep. He directed his crew and the boat they rode on through two long nights and days, listening to every creak the wood made. Any wrong move could send the cannons through the floor; any storm could lead them to a resting place far colder than ice. The responsibility weighed heavy on him.

The port of Torenju came into sight just after dawn, a dark splotch against the brilliance of the sea. He had never been so relieved to see the damn place in his life. His crew was safe. His ship sailed strong and faithful. For another day he had managed to keep them safe. Torneju was notoriously dangerous but Gray had earned his place among the bar fights, brothels and politics. His crew was safe to cause whatever ruckus they wanted; _he_ was safe to stick is nose wherever he pleased.

Juvia was the problem.

After deciding to head to Torenju, it hadn't taken him long for his mind to register the biggest obstacle in bunking there for an extended period of time. Juvia was not safe. By whatever power continue to pull him toward her, Gray had begrudgingly spent most of his long hours at the wheel devising a way to get her off the ship and someplace the rogues and rakes of Torenju couldn't get to her. If he could keep her hidden, all the better.

It had only been a few hours before he slowed the ship into the harbor that he had worked out a solution. The solution stood at the end of the dock, an eyepatch still over one eye and a selection of swords at her side.

She was waiting.

"Your message said you'd taken hull damage. I've never seen the _Banshee_ like this!" she hollered from below, taking hold of the ropes the crew threw.

Gray let out a breath.

There were few people he trusted that were outside his crew. Erza Scarlet, captain of the _Titania_, was one of them. Natsu took hold of the wheel so Gray could leave his post to greet her; Gajeel took over the deck, shouting directions to anyone close enough to tie the ship down and get the goods they would be trading for the repairs onto the deck and to the trademaster. The deckhands threw the anchors and the ship came to a comforting halt.

She was on the deck before he made it down the stairwell.

"This isn't the damage you told me about."

"That's why I said we needed to meet on your ship."

Erza's eyes scanned the deck, arms crossed. "You can't possibly call this is a ship. It's kindling for a fire. Then again what should I expect—you're still hunting naval ships."

"It's better than avoiding them."

"That vendetta will get you and your crew killed."

Gray groaned, removing his hat to run a hand through his hair. "Nice to see you too."

The red head smiled. "I never said I wasn't happy to see you. I just don't want to see you or your crew in pieces."

Then they laughed; Erza reached for his hand and they took one another by the wrist, a greeting that symbolized trust and allegiance. Their hold was firm, index and middle fingers touching the pulse of the other's hand above their pirate brandings. Gray settled his blue, feathered hat back on his head once they let go.

"How many of your crew are staying with us on the _Titania?_"

"They crew will find someplace to pass out drunk. They aren't the favor I'm calling in."

Erza watched him. "A captive?"

"Something like that."

Gray turned her toward the doorway that led to the lower deck; men shuffled in and out with the trade goods and the possessions they didn't care to risks stolen by the repairmen. It was a pirate harbor—and pirates code did not protect a ship from ransacking in the port. Loke appeared in the center of the men, drawing out without Juvia in tow as he had expected. The man had given her his quarters, and it had taken more willpower than Gray wanted to admit to keep himself from ensuring Loke didn't share them as he had threatened. The fact that it mattered to him bothered him. He could feel the heat of his irritation causing his clothes to feel unbearable.

"A woman, Gray?" Erza sounded surprised.

Gray watched Juvia come onto the deck, dressed in the plainest clothing Loke could find, and barefoot. Not the safest way to walk around Torenju's pier and a step more than he had intended when he had given the direction to prepare her to leave the ship, but it was still relieving. If he squinted, the strange yearn to kiss her disappeared. Erza set a hand on his shoulder, glancing toward him with a knowing smile that made him nervous.

"What?"

"I thought women were unlucky on your ship?"

"_You're_ on my ship."

"She's pretty."

He groaned. "A ship full of women is better than a tavern room for her."

"What makes her so important?"

It was a simple enough question, but Gray turned from her and chose not to answer. Simple as it was, he wasn't even sure he knew the answer. Or maybe he did, and he wasn't ready to admit it. He wasn't keeping Juvia for the ransom money. The idea that he would let her go once they could land in Crocus was slowly beginning to form as an excuse rather than the answer. The memory of kissing her on the deck was still burned into his memory, clinging to the forefront of his mind and refusing to be dismissed. He'd liked it. He knew that.

So why couldn't he just leave it at that?

* * *

The sun was full and bright and Juvia allowed herself to be momentarily distracted by the warmth. She would see land for the first time in months—be able to step surefooted on the ground and not the wooden confines of a ship. Her skin prickled at the thought. Would she even know how to go from her sea legs to walking on land?

"What makes her so important?"

Juvia lowered her gaze from the sun and back toward the ship; she did not recognize the feminine voice. The woman she saw stood close to Gray and was very pretty and obviously confident. She lifted a hand to Gray's arm when he did not answer her question, smiling at him in with a familiarity that spiked a slew of emotions within Juvia. This woman was beautiful and exotic. She was strong in a way Juvia could see and feel.

Gray made no motion to answer the question, instead closing his eyes and crossing his arms in a way that showed defiance. Whatever the answer was, he would not be sharing. The woman gave him a knowing smile before turning back toward Juvia, hands on her hips.

"A pretty girl like this shouldn't be in rags, Gray. Maybe you should let me keep her, we'd take good care of her."

For the first time, the idea of leaving the ship frightened her instead of brought excitement. Was that how Gray dealt with what he felt was a mistake? Pass it along to someone else? Or maybe this woman was more to him than what Juvia could have ever hoped to be… either scenario erupted a tension deep which constricted her heart.

"Juvia is not something to be passed off."

The woman nodded, extending a hand toward the man at her side. "Of course not, but Gray has no idea how to take care of a woman—at least if he does, I have yet to see it."

"I have never heard a truer statement, Captain Scarlet." Loke appeared beside Juvia, hand resting on the small of her back to push her forward. "You came to escort her yourself? And here I was hoping to visit with the lovely ladies of your crew…"

"Loke…" Gray's voice came in a low warning.

The man in question lifted his hands in feigned distress. Loke tumbled forward as Gajeel lumbered by, a hand slamming into the back of his head. "It's better that way. Lady Luck's in better hands with Erza."

"Gajeel! Levy's been asking for you." Erza hinted. "Perhaps you should come with me."

Levy?

Juvia could not help herself; her gaze moved from Gray and Erza toward Gajeel. Who was this Levy person? He had never mentioned anyone special to him before. The agitated face he made was enough to confirm this person was special in a way he didn't feel like discussing. Much like her own feelings for Gray. Gray, who was standing beside a beautiful woman he was very familiar with.

The tension came again, and Juvia realized it was jealousy.

"I'll see her later. There's too much to do here and Ice Dick needs a break. Take him."

Erza seemed more than delighted with the opportunity to drag Gray along with her. She took hold of him by the neck of his coat and reached without warning for Juvia's hand before turning on her heel and heading off the ship. Gray and Juvia stumbled their way down the railing that led to the dock, trying to right themselves. It took a few moments but Juvia finally managed to turn herself around and for the first time was able to see exactly what kind of city Torenju was.

Men sat on the ground in drunken heaps against dirty buildings; they were next to barrels, they were lying half way into the streets. Woman with ample sized bosoms walked the street with their skirts hiked high, preening toward any man that seemed halfway conscious. They turned to Gray and giggled, telling him to be sure to meet them at a place called The Red Lantern later that night. He didn't tell them no. Juvia could feel herself simmering.

There was no place on Torenju that appeared inviting—nor was there anyone who seemed the slightest bit decent. There was depravity left and right, broken glass and the sound of bar fights, a stench of hardworking, unwashed men and mold. She found her nose wrinkling.

"Juvia?" it was Erza, turning toward the younger girl. "When we get to my ship, lets get you into something more suitable for a woman."

"Get her a weapon too." Gray's eyes were focused on the few men walking the expanse of the harbor, shoulder taught as if he expected someone to jump out toward him at any moment.

Juvia watched as he shifted from walking behind Erza to beside her, standing tall and adjusting the direction of his hat; the feather moved from the back to left side. Erza seemed to understand the body language Juvia could not decipher; she quickened their pace and pointed out her ship. It was two docks down, a large and awkwardly beautiful and menacing creation. The ship was a deep mahogany with gold lettering, blood red sails—orante mermaids and wingless angels decorated the wooden balustrades that wrapped around the ship. It was elegant and threatening.

"That's the _Titania_." Her voice was proud, eyes glossing over as a mother's would over something magnificent done by her child.

Juvia felt Gray's hand on her back before she realized he had moved to direct her back toward the ship she had been slowly moving away from. He didn't say anything, and Juvia felt that was for the best—the chill that had run up her spine and through her limbs would have kept her lips dumb in response. He pushed her forward as Erza led the way up toward the main deck that filled through with feminine voices. These were people she did not know nor trust, and she felt herself melding back into Gray. He was the only thing she knew at this point.

When had she begun to trust him enough that in her moment of fear all she wanted was for him to comfort her?

* * *

The women of Erza's crew scooped Juvia up as if she were doll to play with—they were all smiles and friendly banter as they pulled her from Gray and throughout the ship. Erza gave them the direct to get Juvia dressed and to supply her with a weapon, but to keep her in the extra cabin on deck as she was Gray's charge and not their own. He had watched Lucy calm Juvia in a way that had taken weeks for anyone to do with her on his own ship, and found himself watching where she had gone long after she had disappeared below the deck.

"You didn't tell me Grimoire Heart was here." He turned to Erza, his fists tightening.

"It doesn't change anything. You still needed to dock, and we still needed to transfer Juvia here." She answered, the friendliness her face held before disappearing. "There is a lot we need to talk about. The girls will take care of her; lets meet with Jellal."

"Lyon?"

The name filtered between both them, dropped like ice over a flame.

"Lets meet with Jellal."


	9. The Balam Alliance

**Author's Note:** Thank you so much for your feedback and reviews! Per your request I am making sure it does not take as long to update this time… things are about to get interesting!

**Seas of Change**

_**Chapter 9: The Balam Alliance**_

"How long?" Gray narrowed his eyes as he stared toward the map laid out over Erza's desk.

Jellal moved two ships across the map to a new location and the formation came into view. "It's unclear, but the _Reitei Vengeance_ seems to have been the last key to their plan. Lyon could not have made the decision to join the Balam Alliance long ago."

"What will you do, Gray?" Erza stood off to the side, allowing the two men to investigate the map and form their opinions.

What was there to do? He had kept a distant eye on Lyon per Ultear's request; the man visited her rarely and each time brought on further doubt. They had all experienced the same loss and yet it had affected Lyon differently. The pirate ship he had lead the mutiny on was renamed in his anger. There was a separation in their brotherhood that Gray was unsure of how to bridge. Perhaps that had been the final straw. There were many questionable things Lyon had done in his life at sea, but joining the Balam Alliance was by far the worst.

It was controlled by the captains of ships such as _Grimoire Heart_ and _Tartarus_; an alliance that promised to draw all in its wake to the pits of hell. The Fiore Seas Alliance had been built to combat just that. Gray had hoped that when Lyon chose a group to ally his crew with it would be along with him; instead he went straight for the heart of the trouble. He was too impulsive.

"Is he in the port?"

"Most of the Balam Alliance is here—it's neutral ground, and the best way to form new alliances. I suspect Lyon is here as well, though the _Reitei Vengeance_ is still out to sea. There are rumors that he is building an armada for their cause." Jellal pulled three more ships to the port of Torenju on the map. "He is charismatic. I would not be difficult for him to do."

The more he heard, the more anger bubbled within him. What was Lyon hoping to gain—hoping to prove—by giving the Balam Alliance that kind of power? It had never made much sense to him how they all fought the same enemies and yet among themselves were split. Pirate law was meant to join them in strength not split them, and yet ever since _Grimoire Heart_ first appeared in the pirate haven the solid agreement among the leaders of the sea had slowly begun to diminish.

Stories of their feroricity littered the papers and literature of society, painting all of them as bloodthirsty heathens. A story of terrors reached more people than one of noble acts, and that was how the violence began. Pirates were arrested and hanged for sport, painted as devils that raped and pillaged and plundered their way to the heights of sea faring celebrity. The tales of men being dragged undership by ropes, heads hanging on spikes and turning the deckwood red with their blood… these were the tales of the Balam Alliance. The notoriety brought them power.

Those were the pirates that Ultear warned him to protect Juvia from, and Torenju was crawling with them.

"_Crime Sorciere_ and the _Christina_ will be porting soon; we've received communication from both Meredy and Ichiya." Erza commented, pulling two more ships just outside the port of Torenju.

Gray glanced upward. "_Crime Sorciere?"_

"We can't fight an armada without an armada." She smirked and taped the table top. "I've split my crew up. Jellal and Meredy sail the _Crime Sorciere._ Mirajane and Lisanna have commandeered their own ship as well—the _Demon Soul_. Kagura is doing the same with her _Mermaid Heel_ crew."

"It wasn't something we felt should wait."

He watched as they positioned all the known allied ships and their coordinates. The Balam Alliance's numbers were largely unknown but the main fleet appeared to be forming a circle around Torenju. The Fiore Seas Alliance was either cornered within the port or just outside of the semi circle that was closing in. Erza and Jellal's quick thinking had risen their numbers, but the position they were in was precarious.

"I was in Magnolia not long ago." Gray pointed to the port on the opposite side of the sea. "Ultear said to allow her to handle the fight from land... and to watch for the pirates Juvia was truly afraid of."

"She was talking about the Balam." Jellal concluded for Gray, placing a token over Magnolia to symbolize Ultear.

Gray nodded. "She'll be watching. Watch for her signals."

The door to the cabin burst open and drew their attention; Lucy walked in with a large smile on her face, followed closely behind by Levy. The blonde and blue haired women were some of the most loyal and studious people Erza had on her ship—with a large advantage. Lucy was a mage, a commander of the heavens—Levy was intelligent and an expert at intel and languages. Each member of the _Titiania_ held a different kind of strength that drew them into being a force to be reckoned with.

And yet, they were still women deep down inside. The cheerfulness of their faces was proof enough for Gray that they had just gotten done doing something he would probably never understand. The expectant expression on Erza's face was the nail in the coffin. He would never understand how Jellal could have sailed with all these women on his own for all these years.

"Your dress collection is so extensive Erza." Levy said. "It was hard to pick just one."

"Juvia will be with us for a while. Its about time someone got use out of the gowns." Erza nodded.

Lucy turned back toward the door, reaching behind to pull Juvia into the room. Gray could see her come into view slowly, obviously overwhelmed and unsure of what to make of these new people. He couldn't blame her. Everyone on the _Titiania_ could be a bit overwhelming.

"So cute!" Erza clapped at the desk before coming around to meet her.

Juvia stood between Lucy and Levy in a green and blue gown; the green skirt was not as wide as the general fashion would state, instead only puffing slightly over her hips and taking that same angle straight to the floor. The blue and gold bodice stopped where it cinched at her waist, but draped long in the back and wisped slightly at the side as she walked. The sleeves were long and the neckline made of a thin lace that covered her modestly. The girls had pulled her hair up in a wispy side bun.

It was the first time Gray had ever seen her dressed as she may have when she lived in Crocus; clean, her gown undamaged, and the full air of a civilian rolling off her. She was beautiful, and he couldn't stop take his gaze off her. He had known the women on the _Titania_ would take care of her; he hadn't expected them to make her into one of their own.

When Juvia noticed him watching her, she turned away with red cheeks.

Gray was glad no one else from his crew was here to see this. The thought of having to keep another man away from her drew up darker thoughts than he was willing to entertain.

Erza took hold of Juvia's hands and pulled her into the room, twirling her around to get a full look at all sides of the outfit.

"This is perfect. Now once we get the men off this ship, we can get to know each other better, Juvia."

Her gaze turned back toward Gray and Jellal, suddenly cold and warning.

"I think that was our cue."

* * *

Night descended over Torenju, yet the streets teemed with life. Women waltzed the darkened corridors with their clothes hanging about their waists, drawing men toward brothels; pirates lay drunk and destitute in alleys; peddlers of different sorts and questionable figures zigzagged about to capture the attention of someone interested in their magic wares. Gray's boots squished into the mud and cobblestone as he made his way toward the end of the road, where a pub built of cypress wood stood. It was the tavern he did most of his work in; the one that pirates went to discuss matters of territory or search for new crewmates, to request the services of others.

He pushed through the door and into the smoke-and-sea air, head hung low to miss the candle lit lighting at the entrance. He'd ruined one to many hats walking into the _Copper Barnacle_.

The bartender motioned Gray over and set a mule mug of ale down on the countertop with a grin. "It's been a while Captain Fullbuster."

"You have news?" Gray raised the mug and offered a salute to the man behind the counter. "Bacchus."

The man let his lazy smile be the answer, and reached for a miniature sized keg of rum. He was just as much a drunkard as the rest of the lot in his establishment. Gray wondered sometimes how he kept himself from getting robbed, but then again this was the unique neutral ground among pirates. That, and Bacchus could drink more than ten men and still hold a conversation.

"Yo Ice Dick!" Natsu sauntered over to counter as if on cue. "The repairs are started. We'll be here a week, tops."

"You couldn't do any better than that?"

Natsu scowled and reached for his own beer. "You try getting a month's worth of repairs for a week with the molded, waterlogged stuff we had to trade for it. You're flat broke."

"I heard about it." Bacchus remarked. "They're saying they've never seen a sadder ship in their lives."

Gray straightened. "But no one else in this hell hole would have sailed that ship back to port."

He could hear Natsu huff in approval beside him; sometimes having your rival as your first mate was a lot of good. They thought along the same lines and reached for the same goals, and Natsu sure as hell wouldn't let anyone out do him. It was that partnership that helped to garner the respect the crew of the _Frozen Banshee_ had within the Pirate Council.

"Another Navy ship?"

"You bet your ass. Sunk it."

Bacchus made and O-shape with is mouth in mock fascination. "You need a new calling card, Gray. All these stories of Navy conquests are starting to get boring."

"That's fine." Gray finished his drink and Bacchus filled it until it splashed over. "Tell me what's going on with the Balam Alliance."

The usual cocky and lazy expression Bacchus held disappeared.

That got Natsu's attention. "What did you and Erza talk about?"

"It's not good." Bacchus stated sourly. "Bad for my business too. Your old friend Lyon seems to be causing quite the uproar in their ranks."

"_Lyon_?" the pink haired man slammed his hand on the bartop. "Like hell! That guy makes a lot of bad decisions but he wants the same thing we all want!"

Gray pinched the bridge of his nose while Bacchus filled Natsu in on the movements of the Balam; the expression and excitement in his face slowly turned to down, then frustration, and finally a slow look of betrayal. He had been with Gray since the mutiny on their old ship, and he remembered Lyon the same way Gray did. It was obvious that the thought of someone they considered a troubled friend becoming an enemy was not sitting well with him.

Throughout the rest of the bar Gray could see his men situating themselves strategically; Gajeel sat in the back corner with the rougher-type people, challenging them to challenges of feats of strength. He was currently battling Elfman in an arm wrestling contest and prompting men from either alliance to cheer for him. Loke had settled along for conversation with first mates and captains, discussing routes, politics and alliances. Gray could see him push his glasses up the bridge of his nose with his index finger—cunning bastard. A woman draped over his lap as he chuckled and shook hands.

Other members of his crew slithered their way into the masses, taking seats beside members of the Balam Alliance and jesting, ordering drinks and appearing as at ease and in control as they knew to be. No one could pinpoint the direction Gray intended to go aside from the few he trusted—he was the wildcard that kept the Balam from making their move. They needed him.

"They got to Lyon to get to you." Natsu said through his gritted teeth. "This is bad."

"Erza's taken the helm on plotting their movements. I don't think they expected us to arrive in Torenju when we did—they have the port blocked in." Gray took a slow chug from his chilled, hammered copper mug.

"Lucy?" Natsu asked but didn't look at him, eyes instead focused on the wall in front of him.

"She's watching over Juvia."

The nod he received in response told him all he needed to know. So did the way Bacchus' lip twitched as soon as he said Juvia's name. Gray glanced upward toward the mirrored backsplash of the bar and caught sight of the grinning man with crimson hair sitting at a lone table, a snake curled about his arm and neck.

Cobra of the _Oracion Seis._

Fuck.

He downed the rest of his drink. "Looks like someone was listening in on the conversation."

Gray turned in the seat and glared directly across the room to the man in question. Cobra gave him a smirk in response and lifted a hand to the snake head to pet it as if it were the most precious companion a man could have. They sat like that for a few moments before either moved or spoke, battling their wills. Cobra was a dangerous man who used magic-filled earrings to heighten his sense of hearing. Not all pirates were magical, but they all had their tools and tricks to use magic to their advantage despite the ban on it within the realm.

Blood coursed through Gray's veins, pulse rising. Cobra smirked. He could hear that too.

"Afraid, Fullbuster?"

"Like hell." He fought the urge to twist his hands and instead focused on calming the racing of his pulse. "Pirates don't fear things that can only slither on the ground."

Juvia. They knew Juvia's name.

They knew about Juvia.

They knew where Juvia _was._

"Juvia, huh?" he leaned across the table, making sure the name was loud enough for everyone to hear within the pub, the remark about snakes doing nothing to deter him.

Gajeel slammed Elfman's hand down on the table before turning, his eyes narrowing. Loke pushed his glasses up with his middle finger—his signal for warning. Natsu bristled beside him. Gray fought to keep himself composed, facially and internally. His heart refused to calm its erratic beating and he could see how Cobra reacted to change in his demeanor. The snake lifted its head and flicked it's tongue in Gray's direction as if to confirm what Cobra was thinking. He was betraying himself without saying a word and there was nothing Gray could do to stop it.

A few months ago, maybe. But not now.

Dammit.

"Interesting."

"This is netural ground. No bar fights." Bacchus came from behind Gray. "You wanna start something, get the hell out. Unless you wanna deal with me."

Cobra stood and stretched. "That's fine with me. I got what I came for."

With a sarcastic tip of his head, he slammed jewel on the table to pay for his drink and the information he had gathered from his stake out in the _Copper Barnacle_, then headed out the door. The bar was silent with the knowledge that Captain Fullbuster had a secret, the _Oracion Seis _knew, and that meant the Balam Alliance knew.

Natsu stood and started barreling toward the doorway.

"Stop." Gray said, hanging his head so his hair covered his eyes.

"Stop? What the hell?" Natsu turned and fisted his hands. "You're just going to let him go?"

"It's already too late. We can't keep him quiet, and keeping him with us is an act of war. We don't have a ship."

* * *

Juvia lifted the tea to her lips and sipped slowly, finding comfort in the familiar flavors of rose and chamomile. It had been so long since she'd had tea—so long since she had a drink from a porcelain cup. The leftovers of strawberry cake that littered the table and the laughter of the women around her had slowly become welcoming gestures that opened her up. A new set of pirates, and yet these women were just as feminine as she was. Nothing like what she had heard.

Were any pirates as bad as they were labelled?

Lucy lifted her cup. "To new friends?"

Erza pointed toward the cup with her forkful of cake. "To new friends!"

"Welcome aboard the _Titania_, Juvia-chan!" Levy threw her arms out and smiled wide.

Juvia could feel herself smiling despite herself. Gray may have deposited her on a different ship—did he not want her at all?—but she had the feeling that she was, at least for now, among friends. They had showered her with gifts she knew she didn't deserve, showed her how to hide small knives and other weapons among the skirts of her dress. Much like her time on the _Frozen Banshee_, Juvia felt as if she were being assimilated more than being kept at a distance. This time, however, it didn't seem to be because the Captain did not fear her.

It was just her kindness.

A knock came to the door and Erza hollered for the person to enter. The door opened and Gray entered, smelling of beer and the most unwelcoming face Juvia could remember seeing him have. Her heart jumped in her chest at the sight of him. She hadn't expected him.

If he had noticed her however, he did not acknowledge her.

"Lucy. I need to talk to you."

Lucy?

Juvia's eyes shot across the table to the blonde girl he addressed. She blinked a few times as if she were confused, then got up without hesitation. "Sure… what's wrong, Gray?"

"Erza and Levy, you too."

"What about Juvia?"

Juvia waited for his response, for him to call for her as well. It was very clear that he was distressed despite how he tried to hide it with the gruffness of his voice. He shook his head to deny her presence and turned out of the doorway. The women gave Juvia apologetic expressions as they stepped out of the room and shut the door.

He had denied her.

Juvia could feel the pain in her chest and the jealousy rising. What would he possibly need them for? Pirate business, perhaps. Juvia couldn't hope to be a part of that, nor did she want to be. And yet, the way he had so easily dismissed and ignored her tore at her.

Maybe he had only been interested in her because she was the only woman he had?

The thought spiked her anger.

Instead of waiting for the girls to return and fill her in on what Gray so desperately needed to tell them and not her, she stood and headed to the door. Her hand fell over the knob and turned, but it stuck and refused to budge. She pulled a few more times, twisting and turning it this way and that. The door would not open. He had her locked away, like he always did when she was of no consequence. When he wanted to treat her like the captive she truly was.

When she didn't belong.

Juvia's hand tightened over the knob as she listened for the voices on the other side; they were faint, but she could make out some of what they were saying.

"… are you sure?" that was Lucy.

"You're the only one I can rely on, Lucy. I need you."

He _needed_ her? Gray needed Lucy? Juvia could not help it. Her jealously now had a target, and it was the soft-voiced and sympathetic Lucy. It was the pretty blonde girl who seemed to have a closeness and understanding of Gray that Juvia could only wish to have.

"When you put it like that…"

"Thank you." His voice was relieved; Juvia was sure she could hear him move closer to her.

Were they embracing? Was he holding her close as he had Juvia on the navigation deck only a few nights before? Were they… were they…

"I'll be here when you finish what you need to do."

Juvia didn't listen to the rest of the conversation. It was pretty apparent to her that Lucy was someone very close to Gray—the Gray who had kissed her and listened to her story. The Gray who had seemingly protected her on her way to Erza's ship. The Gray who had rescued her from the revelries of his crew, the man who gave her the music box she had managed to sneak onto the _Titiania._ The man she thought she could love.

She was his captive again, holed up on another ship with people she had thought she could trust. She had a love rival. She was in a harbor that protected and catered to pirates.

Juvia was beyond tears—she refused to give Gray that right.

Her mind was made up; it did not matter what fearsome dangers were outside the pier and off the ship. If she was forever a captive, then it was time for her to escape. It would be simple. He wouldn't even know she was gone.

Juvia tried to convince herself that he wouldn't even care.


	10. White Devil

**Author's Note: ** I appreciate the responses to the most recent chapter! I'm glad my intention of the intensity of the situation is coming across. Prepare yourself! We are just getting into the thick of things.

_**Seas of Change**_

_**Chapter 10: White Devil**_

"How does the ledger look?" Gray leaned against the dock, handing the book of estimated repairs and the payment made by Natsu to Levy.

The man across him kept a smug appearance on his face, hand wringing together. Gray wasn't sure if it was because he had handed the charges to someone everyone in Torenju knew could sniff out their bullshit, or because of the way Gajeel snarled anytime the man so much as looked at Levy. He stood behind her like a steel sentinel, ready to pounce. Levy adjusted the hyper-reading glasses she wore, skimming the information in a short amount of time before she closed the book.

She handed the record back to Gray. "Looks to be in order, if they had actually done any work up until this point."

"Why you-" the man sputtered and moved to swipe the document from her; Gajeel's hand about his wrist stopped him instantly. "Of all the—"

Gray took the book, flipped through the charges, then glanced toward his ship. "I would appear the _Frozen Banshee_ is entitled to some weaponry upgrades for charges like these."

"I don't see a Master Gunner here to work on the selections." The contractor stated, feeling smug.

"That's me." Gajeel answered with a smirk, twisting the man's wrist by way of threat. "And I know exactly what we want."

"Gajeel…" Levy warned under her breath, crossing her own arms.

He let the man go, and turned to Gray. "I think I'll stick around with this lot for a while, make sure the ship is up to expectation without any more cost."

Gray's lips upturned slightly as he bowed his head, pushing off the dock rail and turning away from the contractor with Levy beside him. He waved off to Gajeel. "It's in your hands. Make it worth your time."

It was only a few moments later as they left the dock and turned onto the dingy harbor boardwalk that Levy caught up and began walking at his side. He could sense the disapproval in her actions as she placed her glasses away and gave once last look back to the brute of his crew. It had always been strange to Gray the connection the soft spoken, logical Levy had with a hard head like Gajeel.

"He doesn't always have to do everything with force…"

"He enjoys it."

She huffed. "A perfect trait for a pirate."

"We only hang on in a world this rough by having something we are especially good at. What have you uncovered?"

Levy slowed a bit, calculating the safety of the conversation and how cryptic she should be. They were out in the open with pirates of all sort tumbling their way back and forth form meeting shops, brothels, weaponsmiths and taverns. The sun had yet to hit its high point in the sky.

"There have been a few men poking around our ship. They know where you are keeping her, but I don't think anyone know what she looks like." Levy answered finally, motioning with her hand for Gray to key his eyes on the east side of the pier.

He directed them right, twisting through a familiar alleyway and off the main street.

"Cobra spared no time sharing about her. Although Captain Gray… why exactly are they so concerned with her?" she mouthed Juvia's name, but refused to speak it aloud. The look in her eye was calculating as she monitored his face.

He chose not to respond. Levy nodded.

"Lyon is in town, though I haven't been able to pinpoint exactly where he is staying." She continued, stepping over the legs of a man sticking out from trashed box as he snored his drunkenness away.

Gray shook his head. "You don't need to. We can use Ultear for that. I just need to reach out to her."

* * *

There was not a moment that someone did not sit guard outside her door. Juvia could hear them switch shifts, had calculated the timing and learned who was there for each. Lucy spent the morning hours with Juvia, entering the room to bring her a meal and offer company. The afternoon was spent with a visit from Erza or Levy, with a guard outside the door that preferred not to speak to her. At night was Cana, who spent most of her time outside the door drinking but would join Juvia for dinner and tell her all sorts of stories that Juvia was sure she didn't need to hear. It had been this way for days, and Juvia had come to the conclusion that if she were to escape, there was only one way.

Cana.

The woman was friendly enough, with a no-nonsense type of attitude. She obviously allowed herself to enjoy all sorts of revelry, and was not ashamed of the fact her father Gildarts was one of the most notorious rakes this side of the Fiore Sea. He was a good man she said, just with a broken moral compass that kept him from committing to anything other than doting lavishly on his daughter to the point it sickened her. Cana knew a lot about everyone in Torenju and shared with Juvia the gossip she said she could not share with the other women of the ship.

Juvia learned the names of the safest places in the city.

She learned the names of the people who would supply her with weapons, fare, and could smuggle her out of Torenju and off to Crocus.

She heard of the seemingly illict relationship between Erza and Jellal that both thought no one knew about but _everybody_ knew about and laughed about behind their back.

She learned of pirates who were independent of alliances, groups like the Raijinshuu who were more questionable than Gray with their motives and could fit into any mold they were placed in. She learned that Natsu and Lucy had been childhood friends and Cana was positive there was more there but Lucy denied it. Juvia heard the stories of Gajeel and Levy. She heard about Loke and how he once tried to hook Cana up with the _Copper Barnacle's_ bartender Bacchus.

At this point, Juvia knew the bra sizes of every woman aboard the _Titania_, their preferred methods of attack and what frightened them most.

There was a part of Juvia that wondered why Cana would bother to share so much with someone she barely knew. The amount Cana would drink had to be a part of it; it seemed to turn off any filter she would have had. However, what she had learned of Cana was how fiercely protective she was of the people she loved and how selfish she could be when it came to her own desires. She was a complicated woman, but just the type of person at the time of day that Juvia needed.

"So tell me, Juvia-_chan_…" Cana poured herself another glass of wine, and dashed it with a shot of rum. "… what exactly is it that is going on between yourself and that infamous Captain Gray?"

The way Cana watched her over her glass reminded Juvia of a cat stalking it's prey. In this case, her prey was the knowledge of whatever she suspected was going on between Juvia and Gray.

"We are enemies." Juvia kept her response curt and short.

"Oh?"

"He attacked a ship Juvia was travelling on, and took her hostage. For whatever purpose Juvia does not know."

Cana's index finger pressed along the rim of her glass as she watched Juvia intently. "Has he… defiled you in any way?"

"Juvia would rather die!" she could feel the heat rising to her cheeks at the thought.

The woman across the table laughed and tossed the rest of her drink down before reaching for another. Cana offered the jug of wine to Juvia, who turned it down with a bristling shake of her head. She could feel her frustration rising as Cana seemed to have detected the confusing emotions inside her when it came to Gray.

"Don't kid yourself. He is a handsome man, and I've heard quite the lavish lover as well. Anyone who denied they would go for a tryst with him would be lying." Cana took a deep sip of her drink.

"What does that have to do with Juvia?"

"Nothing I guess, but isn't it interesting? A man as cold as him… making women feel like their bodies are on fire."

Juvia's mood soured quickly, a mixture of anger and jealousy welling up within her. "It sounds as if you feel like you're missing out."

"I'm not picky, but he isn't one I would touch." She finished the glass, and turned to drinking directly from the jug instead. "He's dangerous."

"Can Juvia borrow one?"

Cana stopped mid-drink, pulling the jug from her lips with a quizzical expression. "Borrow what?"

"Your hair pins. Juvia has a stray strand…" she pulled on the strand in the center of her face.

Juvia watched with some hesitance as Cana put the drink away and pulled a few pins from her hair to hand to her. She moved with slowed motions and deterred dexterity that showed the amount of drink she had consumed. Cana handed the pins to her, and Juvia quickly pinned back the hair she had mentioned while Cana adjusted her clothing and stood with the jug of wine.

"Thank you."

"Don't mention it." Cana waved off the compliment and pulled a deck of cards from her back pocket. "Let me tell your fortune instead."

Juvia glanced over the deck of cards as Cana shuffled them in one hand, taking another swig of the wine that was slowly beginning to make her stumble a bit as she stood atop the table to sit with her legs crossed and spread the deck flat. The cards were face up, then face down, then face up once more before Cana drew them all together and split them into piles, flipping them over again.

"Pick a card form each stack and hand them back to me."

Cana set her chin in her palm, elbow on her knee. Juvia could judge form her posture that the effects of the drink were beginning to work their way through her body. She reached forward delicately to pull the cards from each pile as Cana had dictated, handing them back to her in a straight line one by one until 6 were lain face down on the table. Cana took another drink of the jug before she reached for them and arranged them in a circle before her.

"The card closest to you represents the past. The card closest to me represents the future. The four cards to either side are love, life, family and dreams." She flipped the card closest to Juvia. "We'll start in the past."

* * *

It was two hours before midnight, Juvia pulled the hair pins she had borrowed and began picking the lock. Gajeel had shown her a few tips on how to trick locking mechanism on the _Frozen Banshee_, for no real reason other than he had accidently locked them on the gunner deck once. Her hands were slowly and studious, feeling for the changes in the lock and adjusting the tilt to trip each safety net that kept the door sealed.

She twisted the handle once, twice. The door stuck.

Juvia turned the hair pin, and the telltale click of an unlocked door came in response.

Adrenaline pumped as she waited for Cana's response to the noise from the other side of the door. Juvia's body shook as she eased the door open, waiting for it to be slammed shut or stopped by the woman who was meant to guard it. Instead Cana slept soundly, half a bottle of rum hanging in her grasp where she leaned on the wall. Exactly as Juvia had planned.

Now the predictable parts of her escape were conquered, Juvia eased her way along the ships interior and toward the main deck with renewed caution. She could monitor and figure out who would be outside her door at what hour, but the rest of the ship was a guessing game she would have to make up as she went. Juvia knew better than to believe Erza would leave her ship guarded by one person who was dedicated to sitting outside her door.

The main deck was nearly deserted when Juvia made it out of the cabins and strongholds. Two crew members lounged in the crow's nest high above the blood red masts, another set finished scrubbing the furthest corner of the deck. None of them were people Juvia recognized, and in the darkness she had to wonder if they would have known her to be someone who should not be leaving the ship. All moonlight was sheltered by clouds and the city's glow cast in the direction opposite of where she stood.

Blood pounded in Juvia's ears as she edged her way along the edges of the ship, diving behind crates and piles of rope and supplies. Each motion brought her closer to the end of the deck, far from the ramp that led to the dock. That would put her in plain sight and she had decided earlier on that she would need to find another way down that kept her shrouded in the darkness provided by the cloud cover and out of sight of the _Titania_'_s_ crew.

Gathering rope in her hands, Juvia took her last sprint to the railing and tossed it overboard.

Her fingers stiffened as she moved to lift herself over and take first hold of the rope. She could easily be sending herself falling; she hadn't the chance to see if the rope she chose was attached to the ship in any firm way that would support her weight. The crew would be turning soon and she needed to be below the rail and off the deck before they caught sight of her. Perhaps she would fall straight to her death—perhaps they would capture her again, her body broken from the fall.

Juvia took a deep breath. Anything was better than doing nothing; if she didn't work for her freedom now, she may never have it. She would have to spend more time with the insufferably handsome Captain Gray—the captain who had kissed her, and yet garnered the attention of Lucy, the affections of Erza—a man who had no use or want for her.

Anger bubbling within her once more, Juvia took hold of the rope and allowed herself to scale the ship's hull. It took all of her concentration and effort not to lose her footing or grip; Juvia kept her eyes on where the rope rubbed against the ship, swinging along with her movements, until her feet hit the wooden planks of the deck.

One foot, and then two. Juvia let go of the rope, and then ran into the city.

* * *

"Quite the gentleman you are." Erza smiled, arms crossed. "My crew doesn't need an escort."

Gray huffed. "I have other reasons for bringing Levy back."

She waved of his strained attempt at bravado, circling her desk to meet him on the opposite side. "We've received word from the _Christina_, and _Demon Soul_ has docked. Balam won't try anything right now; we have too many allies in one place."

"They'll find a way to tip the scales."

"The only thing they are trying to do is place you in a position to leave our rank." Erza answered coolly. "Otherwise they would not be using Lyon to play you."

"Lyon can take care of himself. He's not the one who's in danger."

Silence filtered between them, Gray's eyes focused directly to the floor. He could feel Erza watching him with an expression that read everything he was trying to decipher for himself. She set a hand on his shoulder and squeezed lightly.

"I won't assume why she is so important. You can tell us all when you're ready." Her voice was soft, the teasing tone from earlier gone.

What was there to tell? Gray wasn't sure he knew what made her so important. Juvia was a unique handful that he had struggled to balance and realized he never could. She was powerful with her words and sensitive in a way he couldn't quite grasp, enticing with her beauty. She was everything she didn't appear to be, and somehow despite their different worlds there was an attachment he felt that he couldn't describe. She should have been nothing more than a prisoner and yet he was taking every measure possible to keep her safe.

Cobra seemed to think she meant something; the way the Balam were sniffing around to learn more about her told him that much.

He just wasn't willing to admit it to himself.

"Come on." Erza snapped the door to her office open with a loud crack; Gray felt as if he should have been standing at attention. "Let's go check on her."

She left without giving him a chance to refuse, door remaining open as a way to beckon him to follow. Gray pressed his fingers against the bridge of his nose and followed as expected. He had been able to keep his cool the last few days and remain aloft because he had not seen her, but he couldn't deny there was something in him that wanted to. It was a longing, much like his desire to go back to sea after spending an extending period of time on land, which he had tried to ignore.

Sometimes it worried him how easily Erza could read him.

They continued into the lower decks of the _Titania_, weaving through the halls that Erza had fashioned. Hers was the most cruise-like pirate ship Gray had ever seen; for as functional and practical as Erza could be, she did have a hand for the frivolous and it showed in the modifications she had made to her ship. They wound through the floors and levels until finally getting to the floor in which Juvia was being held.

"Cana!" Erza's voice held surprise and concern.

Gray's could see ahead of himself the door—the one that should have been shut—was wide open with Cana passed out drunk beside it. He did not wait for Erza to push forward and instead pushed past her himself to check the room. The same pounding in his chest that occurred only a few nights before during his standoff with Cobra echoed throughout his body. She wasn't in the corners, she was not at the bed, she was not behind the door waiting to ambush them.

Juvia was gone.

There were no signs of a struggle; the door had not been blasted in, and Cana was not the worse for wear. Whatever solace he should have taken at knowing no one had come for Juvia was lost to the fact she was probably somewhere in the city surrounded by people who would do her any kind of harm to undermine him. She had led herself directly into their trap.

"Dammit!" Gray's fist landed on the door frame, a snarl about his lips.

Damn her. Damn her and the fact that he cared, and that fact that it mattered. Dammit, dammit, _dammit_.

* * *

Everyone was eyeing her. Juvia kept her eyes focused on the pathway in front of her and her search for the familiar names of pubs and taverns that Cana had listed off and Juvia had figured she could trust to get her out of Torenju. It was slowly beginning to dawn on her that those who would work with Cana and Erza or Gray may not be as welcoming to a stranger such as herself. What did she know about bargaining with pirates?

Mud slopped on the pristine hem of Erza's gown, and Juvia could feel the instinctive guilt of ruining something that did not belong to her. It took her a moment to remember that at this moment, that was the least of her concerns. Paranoia built up in the back of her mind as she wound through the streets, too cautious to ask for directions and too smart to stop.

They knew she wasn't from her. She didn't have the air of a pirate or destitute appearance of the prostitutes she passed. She walked with the awkward gait of someone who was unaccustomed to sea-to-land transitions after months on the ocean, held her skirts high enough to be considered a lady but not a lady of this port.

"Doll… not often we see someone like you 'round here."

Juvia kept walking.

"Hey! I'm talking to you."

Her hand swiped along her leg where she had stored her knife from dinner; it was the only weapon she had brought along with her.

"That's no way to treat someone who's payin' ya a compliment." A hand took hold of her wrist, pulling her backward. Juvia lost her footing. "I just wanted to talk to a pretty lady and—"

"That's enough."

Juvia regained her footing, knife in hand, turned and poised to attack, when the hand holding her released. Another man with silver hair held tight to the arm of the person who had assaulted her, a calm yet demanding expression in his eyes. He said nothing but stared the man down until he backed away. The man let go of the other man's arm, and Juvia could feel the chill that his expression gave off. It was a threat without need for explanation.

Soon enough the other man understood the silver-haired man's intent, spat on the ground and walked away.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice softer and expression lightening as he turned toward her.

He was handsome, in a way that reminded her of Gray but yet completely different. His movements held a ferocity and gentleness that contradicted one another and yet she found herself falling at ease. "Yes. Juvia thanks you."

"Juvia?" he asked. "You are definitely not from here, are you?"

She shook her head. "I'm trying to get back to Crocus."

He offered her his hand. "That's a long journey, but I couldn't bear to let a lady walk around Torenju in search of something like that alone. I think I may be able to help you."

Juvia gaged his motions, watched for any sign of threat in his face; there was none. He seemed just as distant to her as she was being toward him. Yet, he had jumped in to assist her and the other pirate had left without so much as a scuffle. How many others would try a similar thing? How long could she fight them off on her own?

"How can Juvia trust you?"

He smiled and lowered his hand. "You are as wise as you are pretty. No one in Torenju is completely trustworthy, but I mean you no harm. We can speak more over a meal."

"Juvia doesn't even know your name."

"Nor did I know yours when I came to your aid." He countered. "At least do me the honor of dinner, and you can decide then if you still wish to know who I am and accept my assistance."

She hesitated, but this man was her best chance at the moment to get out of Torenju before a member of the _Frozen Banshee_ or the _Titania_ found her wandering the streets of their pirate city. It would be safer to travel with a companion. He had not yet done anything forceful.

"It is a bit late for dinner, but Juvia will go with you."

He smiled and motioned behind her. "There is a nice tavern just around the corner called _Calypso_, we can eat there."

"And who is Juvia eating with?" she pressed the question once more.

"My name is Lyon."


	11. Surrender

**Author's Note: ** Wow! I was not expecting such a big response on the last chapter but I am so happy everyone is enjoying the story so far! I do need to give you a forewarning on this chapter though… so yeah. You have been warned.

_**Seas of Change**_

_**Chapter 11: Surrender**_

_Calypso_ was a hole-in-the-wall tavern on the outskirts of Torenju, a modified cave in the side of a mountain. Lyon led Juvia through the shipwood tables and stump stools to a lantern lit corner near a fake fireplace. Two steel mugs of ale were placed before them as the waitstaff disappeared behind the bar and into the cavern that Juvia could only assume held the kitchen.

As she had followed Lyon through the door, it had not gone unnoticed to her how everyone moved out of his way. It was obvious he commanded a respect of the patrons that was hard won and drawn about somewhat in fear and awe. Men with eyepatches, missing legs, hooks for arms—they all shifted and went silent until Lyon had taken his seat across form her in the corner.

"Are you hungry, Juvia-chan?"

Her eyes stopped taking in the movements and whispers of the other pirates when he spoke. "No. Juvia has already eaten."

Lyon motioned toward the cup before her. "A drink then."

"Juvia cannot figure out if everyone is watching her or watching you."

He blinked, then glanced over her head. Juvia felt the undeniable urge to shrink down and hide; her back was to every other guest housed within the stone walls, placing her safety in the hands of a man she had just met. She shook her head. Lyon was not just a man, he was a pirate, the same as the man who had assaulted her in the street. The same as the crew of the _Titania._ The same as Gray.

Gray… hadn't he mentioned someone named Lyon before? His name sounded familiar, but Juvia struggled to place it. Had she heard of him during her conversations with Cana, or perhaps her meals with Erza? She felt as if she knew something, as if she should be weary, and yet the familiarity of his cool demeanor and distant affection drew her toward him. She was not fool enough to believe she trusted Lyon. Yet, in a city full of pirates, who else could she trust but one who had already proven himself to be in some way an ally?

"You have nothing to fear, Juvia-chan." He smiled with confidence. "You are safe with me."

"Please do not call Juvia Juvia-chan."

He raised an eyebrow, as if surprised. "Just Juvia then? We're past formalities. You move quickly."

She felt her cheeks redden in embarrassment.

"You said Juvia could decide after this meal if she wanted your assistance."

He nodded, taking a full drink of his ale. "Crocus is far from here, and Torenju is an island. Did you have a plan to leave and navigate your way back?"

An island? No one had ever mentioned that they were not ported on the mainland in a special alcove protected by the mountainside. She had known full well it would be treacherous to attempt to scale the mountains into the valley beyond it, but it was a risk she had been willing to take. Sailing alone without provisions for an unknown number of days… Juvia felt her hope falter. She had escaped the ship, only to find her trap was created in layers.

The way Lyon watched her, she couldn't bring herself to say no.

"Juvia's situation was dire."

"In that case," he pushed her drink closer. "tell me how you came to Torenju, and maybe I can lend you my assistance to Crocus."

Her eyes landed on the mug as he moved his hand from the handle, motioning for her to drink along with him. The liquid glimmered in the lamplight, and Juvia found herself reaching for the mug. It seemed Lyon held nothing against her, but she needed to gain his trust in order to garner the favor she needed. She could not sail to Crocus alone. She had no ship, no provisions, and no money. She knew nothing about sailing.

She lifted the mug to her lips and took a deep drink, the first she had ever taken with a pirate. Reckless, but they were reckless too and if she were to succeed she needed to show a bit of her own contempt of danger.

"Juvia was a captive, but she escaped."

Lyon waved off the waitress who stopped to take his meal order. "Which ship?"

Juvia felt herself hesitate, overcome by a tightening in her stomach. This felt a lot like the betrayal Gray had done to her; she owed him nothing, and yet there was a part of her that felt as if she were leading him right into a trap. She wanted to escape, not hurt him. Lyon seemed to detect this, and explained he had to be sure he was not going to start a war over ferrying her back to Crocus.

She took one more swig of the ale, decision made.

"The _Frozen Banshee_."

* * *

Gray stormed through the streets of Torenju, heart pounding. Where would Juvia have fled to in this city? He had gone through all the alleyways and trade shops along the pier without luck. With no clue as to how long she had been gone, his search could very well be futile. Juvia could have wandered nearly anywhere. Men and prostitutes split out of his way as Gray continued into the heart of the city, trying to trace her path. There were places Erza had said she may have heard of, but Juvia knew nothing of the city and was likely far off course from what he would have considered neutral territory for an outsider.

Torenju was crawling with members of the Balam Alliance that night. Gray could feel a snarl pulling at the edges of his lips, the way his hair stood on end and the deep creases that formed on his face along with his glare. Like hell he would let them have her. He'd break the Pirate Law and fight on neutral ground if he had to. Juvia was never meant to get mixed up in this power struggle between the Fiore Seas and their enemies.

He should have taken her to Crocus to begin with. Cobra would have never picked up on the way her name could make his heart race, never would have known about the fear he held for her.

Maybe if he had let her off in Magnolia…

It was too late for what-ifs; Gray placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, pushing the door open to one of the more inviting pubs on the east side of the city. It slammed into the wall with a clanging sound, capturing the attention of everyone inside. He gave the bar a once over before stepping back out into the mud and cobblestone. She wasn't there, and the fact remained that he had only himself to blame. He was trudging through a pirate city looking for the only person who was not a pirate at all, like a rose thrown overboard into the sea. Juvia would stand out among the dinge of the city and it would not only be his enemies plotting to take hold of her innocence.

That didn't make his anger toward her any less. For a woman who detested pirates as strongly as she said she did, Juvia was a fool to thinks he could handle the city of Torenju on her own. He had warned her that he and his crew were not the pirates she was conditioned to fear. Torenju was busting at the seams with the very men whose tales were meant to scare all manner of people off the seas. There was no way to get out of the city except by sea, and not a soul would offer their assistance without expecting something in return.

That was if the Balam did not get to her first.

He closed his eyes in frustration and tried to refocus himself. If Gray was going to find her, he had to think like someone who would be searching for safety in a land of thieves and murderers instead of hunting her down like a crazed man. At the very least he knew Juvia to be clever; she had outsmarted everyone aboard the _Titania_. She was the same woman who fought his crew and injured Gajeel the night he overtook her ship. She was resourceful. If she still had no trust for him, he had to believe she would have even less for the people of Torenju.

He had spent all this time pushing her away and for the first time, Gray had to put his trust in Juvia to buy him enough time to find her. She could handle herself for a while, but she needed him in a way so desperate she couldn't understand. He felt the urgency in the tips of his fingers, tingling and keeping him on alert, the way his skin bulged at his pulse.

Fuck it. He wasn't going to bother ignoring it anymore. If Cobra was nearby, he could sense the erratic heartbeat beneath Gray's skin and the rest of his crew would start looking for her too. If they were using it to their advantage, he would do the same.

* * *

Lyon leaned back in his seat, the chair tilting as he crossed his arms. Juvia set her second mug of ale down, deciding now was the stopping point for both her story and the drink. At some point the drink had begun to dull her senses and she had lost track of time. How long exactly had they been hiding away in this hovel of a tavern? She glanced behind herself and noticed most of the patronage had changed.

"It appears you have been severely wronged, Juvia."

The tone in Lyon's voice did not match what Juvia had expected from him; she turned her attention back to the silver haired man across from her, who appeared deep in thought. He placed a hand on the table and moved to stand.

"So you will help Juvia?"

"I haven't yet made up my mind. Captain Fullbuster is formidable, and it seems he would not willingly let you go." Lyon remarked, offering her his hand.

Juvia took hold and held firm as Lyon hoisted her out of her seat; her sealegs had come back with the influence of the drink, and she had taken hold of his offered elbow faster than he was able to offer it. He released a friendly sigh and guided her out of the tavern.

"He will never know." Juvia responded robustly. "He does not know Juvia is gone."

"Somehow I find that doubtful. A man doesn't fight to keep something hidden if he plans on giving it away."

The cool sea air outside the cave-bar was a welcome rush against her face; Juvia breathed deeply and allowed Lyon to guide her back toward the city without question. Just a few more moments as she gathered herself again and eased the swaying that seemed to overtake her body, then she would demand an answer or leave. There had been enough time wasted and she needed to be out of the city by nightfall.

"I think there is a lot about Gray you don't understand." Lyon remarked. "A lot about pirates… there comes a time for each pirate when they realize the fight is more interesting than the sea it happens upon."

Juvia pulled away slightly, her elbow held tight by Lyon as she lost her footing. She couldn't possibly be this affected by only two drinks, could she?

"If you want my assistance, Juvia, you must know that it comes at a price. Nothing is free."

With whatever sense of self she could muster against the fog in her head and the weakness of her body, Juvia steeled the heels of her boots into the dirt and pulled them to a stop. The gentleness Lyon had held up until the point turned into a sharp pain in her elbow as he held her with the same force she used to keep him from pulling her away. He lowered his head and shook it.

"What kind of price?"

"Just worry about leaving Crocus, and everything else will fall into place."

Juvia shifted on her feet, adrenaline pumping against the alcohol and pulling her away from the intoxication and back toward her current situation. They were no longer on the well lit path he had used to bring her to _Calypso_, instead blockaded by tall buildings without windows on all but two sides. She could feel the way Lyon twisted his grip to hold her in place as men began to blockade the exits.

She lifted her foot and slammed the heel of her boot firmly into Lyon's foot.

Lyon groaned but refused to let go; the distraction was enough to allow her to kneel and grab the knife from it's hiding place against her thigh. Juvia twisted the knife into an angled hold she had seen Natsu use when sparring on deck with the crew and turned, using her lowered angle to propel her upward and inflict the most damage as Gajeel had shown her. Lyon leaned away from her strike then took hold of her by both wrists, using the momentum to slam her into the alley wall. She gasped at the force of air sucked out of her lungs, wincing as Lyon applied pressure to her hand until the knife clattered to the ground.

"I can see why he likes you. You are not what you appear to be." Lyon stated, pressing a knee between her legs to keep himself out of her range of attack. Hi chest pressed against hers to hold her into the wall. "Gray has always been that way, ever since we were young. He pushed away what truly mattered."

Juvia lifted her head and held Lyon's gaze, his eyes dark as he stared down at her. The calculating way he watched her, the mention of Gray as a child… her eyes registered the shock she felt inside. She knew where she had heard Lyon's name before. He was the adoptive brother Gray had mentioned as being the one who led the mutiny on the pirate ship that had saved them. The resemblance to Gray, the cool demeanor, the way he seemed to dance around anything involving Gray- she knew without a doubt that he was the same Lyon.

"Juvia is no good to you. Gray-"

A clanging noise of steel-on-steel resounded down the alley; Lyon smirked.

"He's already come for you."

* * *

Gray pulled his sword out the moment he heard a feminine gasp; he recognized the man who approached him as belonging to the crew of the _Reitei Vengeance. _Lyon was here; if Lyon was here, he had no doubt Juvia was the woman he had heard. The man in front of him pushed off quickly and Gray held his stance, waiting for the other to advance. He ran forward and Gray side stepped, slamming the hilt of his sword into the man's neck. He crumbled to the ground and Gray turned his attention to the alley, forcing himself to remain calm.

He could walk into almost anything, but there was hope- if it was Lyon, Juvia would still be safe. Gray couldn't imagine him hurting a woman, especially if his objective was to get to Gray and force his hand. He needed the bargaining chip. Two more steps and he was at the mouth of the unlit corridor and completely exposed.

Juvia, pinned to the wall with Lyon tight against her. The men at his back were not just his own, but members of the _Oracion Seis_ stood among the ranks as well. He was outnumbered, but Juvia was alive just as he had dared to believe. That was what mattered.

"Get off her."

Lyon conceded with a dramatic swooping of his hand, refusing to let her go but at the very least removing his body from her own. Gray focused on her face and not the movements or jeers of the pirates surrounding her. Whatever Lyon had become to join the Balam, he was not a man to take advantage of a woman. He was detaining her, as he continued to do by pinning her arms against her back. Juvia limped away form the wall and stumbled with the awkwardness of Lyon's hold, but she lifted her eyes to Gray and he felt the way his chest tightened.

"I didn't expect you so soon."

"It's neutral ground. Let her go." Gray took two more steps closer, holding himself tall and firm. He watched the men behind Lyon shift with doubt before righting themselves again.

Lyon shook his head. "It's not that easy Gray. You should be happy it was me."

"Let her go." his voice was firm. He watched Lyon, but his body was attuned to any motion Juvia made.

She shifted in Lyon's hold, trying to wrangle herself free to no avail. Gray shook his head to tell her to stop, an echo in his ears from the rushing of his blood as he saw her lower her head. She had registered her own defeat. He returned his gaze to Lyon, who watched him with a silent coolness that put Gray on edge. Lyon knew he was in control.

"You're not in a position to make threats. As you said, it's _neutral ground_." Lyon glanced toward Juvia for a moment, then tossed her back toward the men behind him. "However, I'm itching for a fight. We'll call it a duel."

Gray watched as Juvia stumbled into the hold of the men positioned behind Lyon; she stomped her feet and swung her arms to keep them at bay, knocking one man in the jaw and kneeing another in the groin. His body urged him forward to help her as they took hold of her around the waist and wrestled her to the ground. She lay on her back in the dirt and muck, struggling with the weight of the men on top of her. It pissed him off.

The moment he stepped forward, Lyon drew his own sword.

"Well?" he tipped the point of his weapon upward toward Gray. "I don't think you have much time."

Juvia yelped in pain as her arms were pulled away from her and held down by the knees of two different pirates. Gray knew Lyon wouldn't touch her, but he knew nothing about these men and with Juvia held immobile, she couldn't hope to help herself. The fear echoed in his head but he pushed it aside, offering her no words and instead focusing on Lyon.

What had the Balam done to him?

Lyon dove forward with a jabbing motion that Gray side stepped and met with a swinging slash propelled by his footwork. Their weapons clashed loudly and they remained close, each trying to pressure the other into backing down. Gray stepped harshly on Lyon's foot, earning him a gargled sound of pain as Lyon stumbled back. He focused his gaze on Lyon and not on Juvia. If he looked at Juvia, he would lose, and right now he couldn't lose.

He couldn't lose her.

Gray started with the next attack, an arcing swipe as he twisted his body; he hit steel and continued forward, pushing Lyon back with his continued rotations. Lyon ducked the last one, sending an elbow into Gray's stomach. He stumbled and fell to one knee, holding his abdomen as he fought to recapture his breath; Lyon wasted no time in moving forward with another attack aimed at Gray's shoulder. Gray lifted his sword just in time, the steel resting on his skin and barely keeping the blade from slicing through his neck.

Lyon kicked Gray down and lifted his sword to jab into his back; Gray saw the motion out of the corner of his eye and counted down.

Juvia screamed.

At the last moment Gray turned onto his back, allowing Lyon's sword to graze his arm and stick into the street; his legs swung around and pulled Lyon's feet out from under him, and he fell backward.

Gray jumped up and took hold of Lyon's sword with his empty hand, ignoring the man he had been sparing with and instead sprinted toward Juvia. The men holding her down had no way to stop him with about weapons or available hands, and Gray knocked them back easily; a knee to the face, sword hilt to the side of the head, a boot to the neck. The other man fell off of Juvia in a quick motion to miss the swing of Lyon's sword in Gray's hand.

He dropped the sword and took hold of Juvia's hand, not allowing himself time to pause. He had to get her out of her, and now. Lyon would be standing soon and was not likely to let them go easily. Gray ran toward the end of the alley and took a right, dragging Juvia through the mud and down a separate street, changing off to the left and then bursting through a doorway into a brothel.

The women screamed, the Madam ordered him out, but Gray kept on with Juvia until he hit a back room with an unusually ornate door. He kicked it open, pulled Juvia inside and then shut the door with a swift motion.

"Your arm..."

"It's nothing." he ignored her inquest, turning toward a liquor cabinet in the back of the room.

It was ordinary enough, but Gray had spent enough time in this particular establishment to know there was a trap door behind it triggered by lifting the bottle of gin. He reached for it and winced, registering the pain of his shoulder wound for the first time. Lyon's sword had more than grazed him, and it bled as he pulled the gin bottle and the door opened.

Gray turned toward Juvia, taking hold of her once more to push into the underground passage; it was warm and stuffy, but it would get them to the harbor. He followed behind her and made sure the door clicked shut before stepping down to meet her at the bottom. He moved to pass her, but Juvia lifted her hands to his chest.

"We need to keep moving."

"You're _hurt_."

Irritation washed over Gray, and he found himself pulling her hands away as much as he wanted to feel them there. Everything she touched felt like it was on fire and his body still screamed for them to run, but she was having none of it. Did she not realize what kind of situation she had just put them in? The fact that he had to run all over Torenju to find her?

"We keep moving." He didn't spare her a glance; if he did, he would do exactly as she said and right now was not the time. Right now, he needed to get her back to the ship. He would worry about everything else then.

* * *

Gray did not return Juvia to the _Titania._ He took her to the _Frozen Banshee_.

She had tried multiple times to get him to stop so she could check his wound, but Gray had been silent the rest of the way through the underground passage. He refused to look at her, refused to touch her, and yet he expected her to follow. After watching the battle that unfolded between Gray and Lyon, Juvia felt she had a responsibility to follow him. Juvia's desire to leave had caused his pain, and despite everything she had said and done, he came to save her.

To go back out would be suicide. Lyon and his men were probably looking for her now.

Gray motioned for her to walk up the ramp and followed closely behind her. The ship's exterior appeared nearly pristine with the repairs; she could hardly remember the way it looked before its battle with the navy. Once she stepped on the deck, Juvia turned to face him as he followed her up. He pushed past her before she could say anything, and it was obvious he expected her to follow. Juvia stalled, trying to read his body language.

She witnessed tonight exactly what made Gray the captain of his ship- she would be lying if she didn't say there was some fear that came along with knowing just how skilled of a fighter he was. The same commanding air he held about himself with his men he was using with her now and she found herself complying with whatever he wanted. It was nonverbal, but the message was strong.

They entered Gray's personal cabins, and Juvia was surprised to see all of his things still there. He must have continued using his ship as his base of operations since they docked in the harbor. Juvia walked around as the door closed, running her hand along the familiar objects. Gray's chair, the one he had leaned in asleep nearly naked the first night she was on the ship. The liquor cabinet he poured her rum from. The desk they sat at while he pulled the splinters from her hand.

Juvia felt her back press into the edge of his desk, the wood firm and cool through the fabric of her dress. Gray lumbered above her, eyes closed and knit with anger. The pounding her in her chest echoed through her veins and limbs, skin hyper sensitive to the closeness of his body and the way he moved. She could not remember a moment she had ever seen anger in his face like this- it was not the calm rage with which he had fought Lyon. It was not the aggravation she saw from time to time when his crew fought among themselves. It was different. It was an anger reserved for her.

"Do you know what they could have done to you?"

"Juvia had it under control—" she found herself instinctively fighting back. No, she did not have it under control. If Gray had not shown up...

His hands slammed on the wooden surface about her, wrists pressed against her sides. She felt herself edging further up the table, toes supporting her weight as she pushed away from him. He was close enough she could feel his breath on her skin, the heat radiating from his body causing her to feel damp all over. He was strong and full of some primal emotions, pressing her further into the desk as he leaned closer.

He opened his eyes and Juvia found herself fighting for breath. She should not be reacting this way. She just tried to escape- he had betrayed her. And yet, try as she might, she couldn't pull her eyes away.

"They would have killed you. They may have done worse. They're _pirates_, Juvia." He grit the words out behind from behind tightly laced lips, the emotions in his eyes holding her captive.

He was angry—angry with them, angry with her, angry with whoever allowed her off the ship. He was scared and he was relieved and he was furious; the way his irises moved about her face caused a jolt to run through her body, hair standing on end despite the heat she felt. She knew her skin was flushed and it was on display for him to see, the adrenaline still running through his body appearing to distract him. Never had she been able to see through Gray so clearly.

"You are a pirate too." She remarked, meeker than she intended but with enough force to warrant response.

A hand moved from the table to her leg, pushing up on the fabric of her dress. She twitched at the touch. "I am." He answered, his voice dropping a few octaves. "That's why I know what could have happened."

Her eyes flitted from his face to the hand on her leg, watching as his arm shook while he held it in place. She felt warm and then embarrassed as the desire for him to touch her everywhere increased. Juvia turned her attention back to his face, assuming that was the safest route. She could still pull anger out when she thought of the feel of his lips and the way he dismissed her afterward, the intimate words he had shared with Lucy. Juvia settled her attention on his lips and, the ultimate tool of his betrayal and the one thing she wanted the most.

"Gray... why do you care what happens to Juvia?" her words held more bite, and emboldened she glanced toward his eyes.

They watched one another in silence, both daring the other to make the first move.

"You ignore Juvia. You kiss her and then—"

She was cut off with a growl before he pressed himself into her, lips full on her own, hand fisting in the fabric of her gown and lifting the skirt high enough that her skin touched the coolness of the wooden desktop. Juvia made a surprised noise beneath the pressure of his mouth, but Gray pulled her closer to drown out the sound with a hand on her back. His hands moved about her body in a way that kept her motionless and electrified.

It hit her suddenly that she did not know what to do, and Gray seemed to know everything—and instead of feeling inadequate, her body tingled with anticipation. This kiss was rougher and more demanding than the one they had shared on the wheel deck, laced with threats and promises she couldn't decipher but wanted to uncover.

"What would you have done?" he broke from her lips, his voice still holding an angry rasp despite the way he whispered. "If he had touched you like this…"

His hand snaked along her abdomen, settling over her breast and Juvia's breath hitched.

"Gray—"

"… or this?"

His other hand lifted her leg about his hip, pressing her against himself. Juvia whimpered at the warmth radiating from him, the hard curve that pressed into her most intimate parts. There was fabric there she wished removed for reasons she couldn't understand. This was wrong and far from ladylike, savage and uncouth, and yet she craved it like she had never craved anything before.

"Juvia wouldn't—"

He tugged her closer, hands digging into her thighs, lips against her chin. "You couldn't stop them."

"Gray…" she could feel moisture in places that embarrassed her, and she longed to edge away as well as have him as close as possible. "… Juvia—"

"I couldn't forgive myself if anything happened to you."

Gray's hand slid along her thigh, fingers sliding beyond the fabric of her undergarments, straight into the warm folds of her womanhood. She jumped and moaned all at the same time, melting into the coaxing of his fingers. It was far from gentle, mixed with the rawness of his anger, but it told her a story much deeper. He was mad, but his anger came from a place he wasn't ready to explain to her just yet, it stemmed from an emotion neither of them were ready to name.

His attention refocused on her, eyes heavy with desire and concern, and Juvia knew there would be no stopping this. He had exposed himself fully for her to see and as much as she wanted this, he _needed_ it. They exchanged no other words as Juvia lost herself in the feel of his desire and the heat of his body. He did not ask her for permission, Juvia opened for him like a flower in the moonlight, spread across his desk and awaiting the shipwreck for the scare she had given him.

She wouldn't risk calling it love making; this was something far deeper than that, erupting from brokenness and empty spaces in both their souls, from rage and relief.

Gray tugged her hips to the edge of the desk. Juvia felt his velvet flesh hard as stone, thick and warm, press deep inside of her. When had he removed his pants? She sucked in a deep breath, hands holding the edges of the desk until her body accepted him fully and he stopped. He had not waited for her permission or asked how she felt, but he waited still for something from her. She glanced toward him with half glazed eyes, chest heaving as she took each breath. The room had suddenly gone from cool to blazing hot, and she would be damned if he tried to stop now.

She reached for him, hand landing on the back of neck. "Gray-_**sama**_…"

With his names on her lips, Gray thrust inside her and she found her hand fisting into his hair, body sore and stretching but still allowing him entrance to the most pleasurable places within her. His motions were rough and fast, demanding. She arched into him as he pulled back and then pressed himself inside as deep her body would let him. It hurt, yet Juvia found the feeling of him claiming her, feeling her, needing her this badly to be pleasurable. The pain eased the more they moved. The table was cool against her bottom and he was throbbing within her and Juvia wanted to scream and cling and moan and demand from him everything he could give.

There was a sound of crashing as he swiped a hand along the desk to clear the contents; Juvia could hear distantly the echoe of them bouncing and hitting walls while he shifted her further along the table, flipping her onto her stomach and climbing atop without leaving the space deep inside her. Gray took hold of her hips and lifted them, angling Juvia against her chest as he knelt and thrust deeper inside her; she took hold of the edges of the desk to support herself as her body rocked back and forth with his motions, her legs spread about behind him as he worked his way inside of her. His fingers tore into the skin of her hip and Juvia found her voice hitch at the sensation.

He hissed and growled, increasing the tempo. Juvia cried out and lifted as well as she could to offer more friction in the places that seemed to feel the best. Her body reacted on its own, clawing and demanding more of him, accepting his anger and the need to feel close, offering her apology with every rhythmic thrust that filled her.

Just when Juvia was sure she could take no more Gray paused, shuddering and crying out as he held her in place. She could feel the wetness seeping from where they were joined, how the hardness that had filled her so deliciously became lax and soft. He held himself above her, one hand pressed into her back to steady himself and the other still holding her hips as close to his own as he could.

"Gray… sama?" she whispered, turning as best she could to get a good view of his face. He nuzzled into her small of her back before he moved from above her and off the table.

The loss of him brought with it the familiar rush of emotion that accompanied the fear of rejection and abandonment. She turned and sat up quickly, pulling her skirts down to cover the indecency within them. Her face flushed, tears stinging in the corners of her eyes. Was he going to pull away again, the same as he had did after the kiss? It had been hard and enraging before, but now that she had shared this with him… her heart squeezed in her chest.

When had she become so attached to him? For as long as she had tried to push him away, to paint him as her enemy, she still sat praying this was not the end.

She couldn't let him push her away again; Juvia turned on the table, prepared to fight him tooth and nail until he admitted he needed her too. She could feel the nauseating reality of expected loss bubbling just within her ribcage. Just as he came into view Gray reached out and settled his navy tripoint hat on her head, adjusting it so the feather would point toward the back.

His face softened in ways she had not seen before as he looked at her. "I won't treat you like a captive anymore. Keep the hat; no one will touch what they know to be mine. They won't try it again."

She looked at him, vulnerable and bare-chested, handsome and warm and _hers. _ He turned and she leaped from the table, arms wrapping around his waist. Juvia pressed her face into his back, the tears that flowed from her eyes mixing with the sweat of their sex.

"Juvia will not leave. Juvia is yours."


	12. She's a Pirate

**Author's Note: ** I hope you all enjoy the rest of the story now that the smut is over ;) Remember, reviews are what keep me motivated! Also, please expect the next few chapters to come out a bit slower- there is a lot going on at home and at work, and the next few chapters will require extra brain work to get them fleshed out appropriately :)

_**Seas of Change**_

_**Chapter 12: She's a Pirate**_

Gray wrapped the bandage about his arm in slow motions, covering the extent of the wound. It had bled through the first set Juvia had placed on him the night before, but seemed to be clotting well enough that he wouldn't need any other medical attention. Once he reached the end of the fabric, Gray tucked and tugged it into a snug knot and tested the maneuverability of his arm. The sun had just started to filter through the windows of his cabin and the carpenters would be making their way back to the _Frozen Banshee_ within the hour to finish their work.

Instead of rushing out, Gray sat beside the feather mattress he'd salvaged from the kitchens , arms crossed atop his knees. He hadn't slept much that night, his heart and his head running in different directions trying to take in exactly what had happened. There were not many times that Gray Fullbuster felt himself out of control of his own actions, but as he watched Juvia's bare shoulder lift along with her breathing as she slept he knew that he had lost any control he ever thought he had.

When she had gone missing, it was not just fear he'd felt. It was terror. A battle had occurred on his ship when she was present and he had not battled an eye, but the moment she was out of his sight in a hostile area, he had gone running after her without thinking. Then there was Lyon- a brother – who had been the one he had to rescue her from. It was the kind of betrayal that left someone numb, and Gray was numb. There had been a part of him who hadn't believed Lyon allied himself with the Balam, but the man he met last night was not the Lyon who led a mutiny and liberated them to find their own paths. How was he supposed to break that news to Ultear?

And after he'd finally rescued Juvia…

Gray closed his eyes, remembering the feel of her skin and the way his anger had changed to desire the more he explored her. He had truly given himself to her in a way he'd never known he could. It hadn't only been once- he'd taken her to clean the mud and dirt from her skin and hair and he'd acquiesced to the need in her eyes and made love to her again in the bath; Juvia had fallen asleep not long after she'd treated his arm and Gray had been up collecting his thoughts ever since.

What was it about her that had first piqued his interest? When had it moved from irritation to affection? It felt as if they had both been battling the desire to hate one another so strongly it had turned into anything but hate. Hate was easy, and an emotion Gray could handle. This other feeling was anything but simple.

It frightened him how he felt. The people he held nearest to him he always lost. His parents, shielding him in their fishing shack from a naval entourage that decided their city was prime for their exports but not the people. Ur, hiding himself, Lyon and Ultear away on the icebergs before she succumbed to the bullet wounds she suffered. Ultear, who could never bring herself to go out to sea again and instead remained in the hovel she created in Magnolia. Lyon, whom he had lost to the Balam.

Could he protect Juvia?

"Gray-sama?"

Her voice was milky in the morning, and she stretched like a cat in the sunrise through the windows.

"People are going to ask questions if you keep calling me that."

Juvia shifted into a sitting position, holding the blanket about her as if he was not intimately acquainted with the curves of her breasts, the dimple in her hip, the fullness of her thighs. They watched each other with a foreign calmness that never presented itself between them before. She offered him a soft smile and he felt his guard dropping.

"Juvia is yours, Gray-sama. There's no questions to ask."

He scoffed and shook his head, edges of his lips upturning. "Yeah. There is that."

"Are you happy?"

The question caught him off guard; Gray glanced toward her, noting the softness in her eyes and the way she almost sunk back into the bed. Juvia watched him as if she expected him to fall apart at any moment, as if she had made some big mistake. She had- she had run off- but she was here now, he was with her, and she was safe.

"Huh?"

"Lyon..." she mentioned softly, holding her knees close to her chest. "Juvia knew he reminded her of you in some ways… you only mentioned him once, but she figured out who he was. It is hard for Juvia to believe he is truly a bad person."

Gray lowered his head. "Something happened. He's not the same."

"He did save Juvia."

"I saw him pinning you to a wall and planning to take you away." Gray could feel his teeth gritting.

Juvia shook her head. "No, before that. That's how Juvia met him. Someone assaulted her in the street, and Lyon rescued her. He took her to eat and listened to her story, he offered his help to get her back to Crocus until Juvia told him she had escaped from the _Frozen Banshee_."

Lyon had helped her? He watched the way Juvia's eyes glistened, but knew she would not cry. It may have been a harrowing experience for him, but he was sure it was just as bad for her. Alone in an unfamiliar city full of people she couldn't trust, and then Lyon came along. He had a strong, charismatic presence that allowed him to rally people and tempt women without much effort. Juvia was sure to have felt she could trust him.

"He was an independent Captain for a long time, but he's allied with a bad band of people. They have been looking for you. That's why I asked Erza to keep you confined." Gray explained. "I doubt he meant anything he said."

"Would he have known what Juvia looked like?"

He stopped. No, they should not have known what she looked like. They just knew of her. He had kept her hidden away so tightly, in a room with no windows, where no one could find her. Lyon would not have known her from any other woman waltzing the street aside from the air she gave off that told she was not from there.

"Juvia does not believe Lyon would do anything to hurt you, Gray-sama. Maybe we just don't understand what he is trying to do." she offered, smiling lightly. "He did seem to think Juvia was very precious to you."

"The men he works with wanted to take you, to be able to manipulate me. Everything he did was meant to hurt me."

She shook her head. "You said to Juvia that the crew of the _Frozen Banshee_ was not what she believed; that you were not what she thought. You were right, Gray-sama. Now Juvia is telling you that you are wrong about Lyon."

Gray couldn't continue this conversation; he stood abruptly and walked toward his desk. He could hear her moving in the background, the sounds of her barefeet padding along the wooden floorboards as she made her way toward him. He didn't like the way she could dissect him, or how she managed to say things that could slice into him. She had always been that way, unapologetic in her honest and beautifully resolute. With how they had been bared to one another mere hours before, he knew he could not fight her.

This is why he lost control. She was a force stronger than the ocean, overcoming and drowning him before he realized that a typhoon was approaching. As he reached for his sword and jacket she wrapped her arms about him and held tight, the soft roundness of her breasts pressing into his back. She had dropped the blanket along the way.

"Juvia..."

"Gray!" the door to his office slammed open, Natsu bursting in like a fire in an oil refinery. "Did you find her? Lucy just told me Juvia esc-"

"Natsu!" Juvia shrieked and turned Gray to face his first mate as she cowered behind him.

Gray could see the progression of Natsu's thoughts on his face- first was surprise, next was recognition, and third finally drew out a deep red on his face. He could feel his own anger bubbling. Had Natsu always burst into his cabin unannounced like this? Didn't the flame brain know anything about privacy? Juvia's hands sat on his shoulders as she continued to hide her nakedness behind him, yelling at Natsu to leave. Instead his first mate was rooted to the spot.

"Uh… am I…?"

"Get out."

Finally, Natsu regained his composure and backed out the door. "I guess you really don't have an ice dick after all!"

Gray threw a clock from his table at him but it hit the door as Natsu quickly made his exit and slammed it shut behind him. He would reek whatever havoc he could with the newly obtained information, but Gray didn't bother going after him. He needed to get Juvia into some clothes before anyone else decided to barge in on them.

* * *

"Juvia!" Erza barrelled across the deck of the _Titania_, taking Juvia into her arms. "We were all worried!"

The force of Erza's hug had Juvia stumbling back; she watched as Gray twisted out of the way, head narrowed with a small smile as the remainder of the crew left their posts to circle about her. She reached around hesitantly to return Erza's hug before she felt herself ripped away, held at arms length by her shoulders as the redhead looked her over for any obvious signs of distress.

"What were you thinking?"

"Juvia-"

Cana came to Erza's side, her arms crossed beneath her breasts. "Give her some credit. If she can get me to drink myself stupid, she's crafty enough to make her way around Torenju."

Juvia felt guilt bubbling within her. Cana's voice was not accusing- if anything, she was praising her- but the fact remained that she had been crafty and tricked someone who had only ever been kind to her. Had she truly changed that much? She would have never thought of doing something so uncouth before she had become Gray's prisoner.

"Juvia is sorry."

"Don't be- from what I heard from Natsu, sounds like my fortune came true, right?" she smiled and winked, and Juvia flushed.

Images of the passionate night she had shared with her Gray-sama flooded her mind, and Juvia had to shake her head to clear the heat rising. Those were magnificent thoughts of the most vile kind, things she had pictured while reading romance novels on her many voyages with the orphange, but now the sensations were real. They were no longer things she imagined from the privacy of her cabins. Instead, they were things she lived out in Gray's.

"Juvia is sorry, your dress is soiled Erza-san." she changed the subject quickly. "There was no way to wash out the stains."

It was at this point that Erza stepped back, her concerned expression morphing into something calculating. Juvia shifted under the intensity of her gaze, instinctively pulling closed the blue-and-gold jacket Gray had given her. Beneath she wore nothing but bandages which covered her breasts, and a pair of wide legged cream pants. His hat sat high atop her head. The small moment she had to see how she looked in a small mirror, she knew she looked every bit what she had convinced herself she hated.

She looked like a pirate. A pirate who undoubtedly belonged to Gray Fullbuster, his emblem emblazoned on her back, his hat a top her head.

"It seems you've made a decision, Juvia." Erza stated.

"She's a member of my crew." Gray answered for her, and Juvia found herself willing to retort. He didn't get to decide those things for her, no matter how many intimate places of her he had touched and claimed. "I won't have a pirate who can't fight. Can you train her?"

"Swordsmanship?"

"No one can best you."

Erza crossed her arms, watching Gray. He had said she was not a prisoner, and yet he was still dictating the direction of her life- Juvia felt her hands balling into fists, and yet held her tongue. He was not asking for anything she would not eventually do herself. She had learned many things from Gajeel, but even so they were skills meant for someone heavier than her. She was a woman, and Gray was right- she needed to know how to fight if she was going to remain at sea.

"Is that what you want, Juvia?" it was Lucy, appearing from the right. "We want to help you. I am sorry if you ever thought we wanted anything else."

"It is what Juvia wants." she answered without hesitation.

Cana clapped her back. "Told you, didn't I?"

"It's decided then." Erza slammed the scabbard of her sword on the deck three times, garnering all attention around her. "We have a new pirate in our ranks. Your training begins now."

* * *

Afer Erza assigned others to teach Juvia the basics of swordsmanship and female-stylized fighting, Gray followed her into her offices. Jellal, Mirajane, and Ichiya all sat about the gilded desk her map was upon, Levy in the back corner messing with a radio lacrima. Natsu stood in the other corner chatting with Lisanna, and it was at that point he realized Erza had hatched a plan.

"We're going on the offensive?"

"No." she remarked lightly. "We're getting your ship out of port before the Balam can counterattack."

Gray neared the table, watching as Jellal replaced a ship from the semi circle closing in on Torenju and instead placed it at the port. The Fiore Seas Alliance's numbers in Torenju had doubled over the course of three days; the _Christina, _the _Demon Soul_, the _Mermaid Heel_ and the _Crime Sorciere _surrounded on each flank, with Gray's ship and the _Titania_ at the center. The Balam's forces had drawn in closer, but gaps were beginning to appear within their ranks.

"You mean I'm leading this."

"You're the one who pissed them off, ice brain." Natsu said, walking to the map. "I don't want to go running with my tail between my legs either, but we don't have long."

"My men have already taken over the repairs and upgrades to your ship." Ichiya remarked. "She'll be a shining parfume of beauty when we're done!"

Gray glanced toward Erza. She shrugged. "You'll have the fastest ship in the armada, Gray."

"We're not sending you out alone." Jellal answered. "We have some allies outside now as well."

Three more ships appeared at the anchor points of the openings in the Balam's offensive- the _Thunder God, _a ruthless ship captained by Laxus Dreyar; the _Sabertooth_, an unpredictable powerhouse under the direction of Sting Eucliffe; and the _Lamia Scale_, a silent but deadly crew under the pirate Jura Neekis. They were all ships known for weaving in and out without detection. They were also known for sinking ships without anyone knowing they were there.

"They made the openings." Gray stated.

"To get us in." Mirajane responded. "If we fight, it will be on two fronts."

"That's why we need to get you out. Not only is Torenju unsafe, but your ship will be the best fit alongside them." Erza answered. "We'll hold them like this as long as we can; if they change their directive, we can all breath a sigh of relief. If not, then we'll be ready."

Gray's eyes scanned the map once more. He was most likely to get his ship out through the north entrance nearest Laxus's crew. It drew him closest to the waters he was best at fighting in, and had the largest opening. They would need have to take anchor and then sail through in the night to remain undetected. His flag was easily distinguished. It didn't matter what he did, it was going to be a risk, but the danger was what drove him.

"Where are Gajeel and Loke?"

"Overseeing the final touches to the ship." Natsu answered clearly.

"Get the rest of the men ready. We'll leave as soon as the ships finished."


	13. The Cool Fire

**Author's Note: ** I appreciate the well thought out reviews I received last chapter! So many of you are really helping to motivate me to continue the story and are predicting a lot of things quite well! Also, I did get a comment about the scenes being cliché- that's a good thing, actually! Like I have said before, this story is intended to read like a romance novel- full of cheesy, cliché, quick-paced romance and action.

_**Seas of Change**_

_**Chapter 13: The Cool Fire**_

Juvia swung her weapon harshly and readied herself for the impact. Her arms ached from the repeated vibrations caused by the sword when Erza cut toward her with a skilled, repeating flow. The weapon was still heavy-laden in her grip and had yet to become an extension of her arm. Erza was ruthless in her training, and Juvia found her knees buckling with the force of her opponent. For the moment at least, her grip on the weapon was firm with resolve.

It was easy to see what made Captain Scarlet so fearsome on the sea. She did not relent, not for friend, and definitely not for foe.

"Focus!" Erza spiraled and Juvia's sword went flying. The chill of Erza's own blade settled near Juvia's chest.

Another loss. "Maybe Juvia can't do this."

"You can. You are trying too hard to imitate me, and not looking for ways around me."

Chest heaving with the depth of her breaths, she considered what Erza had said. Maybe there was another way to best the woman in front of her. The insurmountable wall she felt she was scaling had to have a cracking point somewhere. Erza held an easy confidence and pushed hard, and her deduction was right- all Juvia had done until the point was try to copy everything Erza did. Defeating an enemy meant looking for their weakness, finding the loophole- the same thing she had done to escape the Titania three weeks before.

Hadn't that been what Gajeel had taught her? She had seen enough brawls on the _Frozen Banshee_ to know pirates didn't fight clean. They took any shot they could find, no matter how cheap, and ran with it. It wasn't about being graceful. It was about survival. There was no such thing as rules of engagement in a pirate battle.

No one said she had to fight with a sword alone.

"Get your sword and try again." Erza instructed, bring her weapon back for inspection. "And be serious this time. We don't have long to prepare you."

Juvia retrieved the weapon, taking a one handed stance with the weapon behind her, crouched low. Let Erza come. She would find a way through this. Brute force was not the only way to win a fight.

* * *

Gray had finished surveying the final touches made to the _Frozen Banshee_, impressed with the advancements Ichiya's crew had installed. State of the art gunner systems, a weather resistant deck with anti-canon properties, enchanted sails with his screaming banshee motif dyed upon it in blue and gray. The cabins had been upgraded with better bedding, the kitchens updated with a flame-magic stove and an ice-magic box that kept their perishable items frozen. His wheel deck had been completely redone in mahogany, the ship wheel covered in steel and enchanted gems meant for communicating with the main ships of the Fiore Seas Alliance. His former enchanted navigation map had been replaced with and updated version that included weather patterns and cloud cover.

The changes to his office had been minimal per his own request, but the crew of the _Christina_ had managed to sneak in a canopied bed, a liquor cabinet, and a diagram of the ship which tracked the movements of his crew and any guests who boarded it. The amount of magic items he possessed made his ship worth more jewel than he had ever plundered in his career. Ichiya had nodded off that the intention was to make the _Frozen Banshee_ the head of their armada, and as such it needed to posses special qualities- to be shift and maneuverable, to be able to track and contact the rest of the alliance, to be able to scout and shift in and out of danger, and to be iconic.

That, and Ichiya had the largest crew of magic-users in existence. It made him a commodity to all, and forced peace. It also gave him the unprecedented power to deny access to tools their enemies wanted, and instead install them on the ships of his choosing. The man was crazy, but in that respect Gray was glad that he was on their side. He was even more glad Natsu and Gajeel had kept his for frivolous plans in check. He didn't want to come back to a ship with unicorns and mermaids carved into the hull.

What would Juvia think of the ship now? It was not nearly as outlandish as the _Titania_, where she had remained for her training since the night she had escaped; there were still edges that lacked comfort and instead were cold and stern like they had always been. Would she miss the comfort and company of the other women, of the plush walls and beddings Erza lavished on her own ship?

The thought of her perhaps choosing to remain with the crew of the _Titania_ didn't sit well with him. Gajeel and Natsu were seperated from their lovers in that way, and he didn't understand how they could do it.

"Gray."

The piece of iceberg Ultear had enchanted sat glowing on his desk, her voice a firm whisper in the emptiness of the room. He had tried unsuccessfully since seeing Lyon to get in touch with her. The light blue light of the iceberg drew him back toward center of the room. It was a piece of the iceberg that tied the three of them together- where Ur had passed, protecting them from a corrupted Navy that hunted it's people for sport.

"Lyon is with the Balam." he was short and to the point, hands upon his desk as he stared into the mahogany wood where Juvia's nails had scuffed the finish. There was a twinge, short as it was, of desire to have her back in this room with him.

He was only having this conversation because she seemed so sure there was something else to what Lyon was doing. To have been attacked and then defend her attacker felt like a slight against him, but Gray wanted to so badly to believe her. Lyon was a brother, and Ur would have wanted them to stick together in their trials.

Ultear was silent for a long moment before she answered. The only way Gray knew she was still there was from the faint blue glow radiating from the eternal ice. "I don't know anything more than you."

"When did you speak to him last?"

"It's been years, Gray. The same as you."

His eyes narrowed and he pushed away from the desk, running his hands through his hair. What the hell was Lyon thinking?

"How is Juvia?"

Gray glanced toward the ice, wondering momentarily just how much Ultear was able to follow them and see into their lives from her soothsayer booth in Magnolia. "She thinks Lyon has an ulterior motive."

"She met him?"

"He tried to kidnap her."

Ultear scoffed, and Gray could almost hear a smirk. "He was always jealous of what you had, Gray. Lyon has always made questionable decisions. Maybe Juvia is right."

"And what? When the pirate war starts, I'm supposed to put my faith in her?"

"No. You have to put your faith in yourself. It is going to be a difficult battle. One wrong move will send you and your crew into the sea." her voice grew grave. "There are more enemies than you think, alliances you do not know about. You have to protect her."

"You've said that before."

"Heed my warning."

Gray could hear the chime of Ultear's door opening, and the swish of her robes as she stood. The connection was severed without a goodbye as she went to entertain whatever guest had entered her shop. He knew why protecting Juvia was important to him, not that he would voice it; but why was Ultear warning him again? She stayed out of the personal aspects of their lives and they didn't bother to share them. There was something else that made Juvia important to what was happening.

Whatever it was, he needed to find out.

* * *

Juvia's fist connected with Erza's chin, knocking her off balance; she swung her leg to trip her up while she was unbalanced, jumping up and swinging her sword down harshly. It hit the steel of Erza's where she lay on her back as Juvia hovered over her, knees on the ground, pressing harshly. She smiled.

"You did it."

Juvia blinked, suddenly realizing she had just knocked Erza to the ground and had won the fight. She moved off the other woman quickly and set her sword to the ground. She had just won. It had taken a few tries to learn Erza's movements, but she had gained enough understanding to find the loophole; two handed attaches required more force and stability, so she had to be more maneuverable. Being just as solid made it a battle of strength, and Juvia had not had the training or the power that Erza possessed. She was faster, though, and that she could use to he advantage.

"Good job." Erza pulled herself into a seated position beside Juvia as she stared at the wooden deck, obviously surprised with herself. "I think Gray would be happy. You understand how you are made to fight, and that makes you formidable. Too many people go through this relying on what they have seen others do or simply on strength alone and that is not how you win."

Juvia glanced toward Erza and smiled, leaping forward to throw her arms around the red haired woman, crying out in triumph. "Juvia did it! Juvia can do this!"

She wouldn't be a burden to be locked away in a storage closet during the fights. When the time came, she could defend what mattered to her, just like Gajeel had tried to explain the night they battled the naval ship. The pirate ship was family, and you fought and defended what you loved. It was loyalty built through blood and hardship and time. Like Gray had told her.

And now she could do the same. She could protect Gray and the rest of her friends.

"Do you really think he'll be happy?" she pulled out of the hug, eyes wide.

Erza laughed. "Of course. He has a thing for tough women."

"Like you?" there was a hint of anger in Juvia's voice that caused Erza to lift her hands in defense.

"No, no. You're different, Juvia. There is something inside you that appeals to him, and a strength that is built off cunning. Gray has lost a lot in his life; being able to depend on you to keep yourself safe is something he will not take for granted."

She paused, letting Erza's words settle in her mind. Gray _had_ lost a lot in his life. The story of his family and then the woman who took him in were the foundation on which he had built his life, his crew, his freedom. It was that story that drew him to her. Did Gray worry she would join the ranks of the others he had cared for?

She would just have to prove him wrong.

"Juvia lives for the ones she loves; she believes that as long as you have love in your life, you must keep on living." she answered gracefully.

Erza smiled softly, setting a hand on Juvia's head. "That's a good way to live."

* * *

Standing aboard the _Frozen Banshee_ and preparing to set sail felt different this time. There was a level of anticipation that Juvia realized had only a few weeks before been dread. She stood on deck, not locked away below. There was no fight-or-flight fear that had accompanied her first step onto the ship. She wanted to be here, more than she had wanted to be anywhere else. How many months had Gray and the crew tried to convince her that this ship was their home, and how many hurtful things she had said to convince herself they were wrong… and yet here she stood, watching from the bannisters as Gray, Natsu, Gajeel and Loke stood on the dock with the rest of the Fiore Seas Alliance.

Once the conversation finished, she saw the pirate handshake- each pirate setting their index and middle finger flush against the pirate brand on the wrist of the one whom they were shaking- pass between the captains and first mates. Gajeel set his elbow atop Levy's head, leaning over to say things that turned the other woman bright pink. Did Gajeel really possess a romantic side? If Levy's reaction was any indication, the answer was yes.

Juvia realized that there were probably many things she did not know about the crew of the _Frozen Banshee_. She had spent so much time pushing them away that she had not truly taken the time to understand them. And Gray… there were sure to be many mysteries she had yet to unravel about him. During her stay on Torenju, she had rarely seen any members of the crew aside from Gray and Natsu, and the thought of spending time with Gajeel again or sharing with Loke that he no longer needed to keep her secret filled her with joy and excitement.

Friendship. That's what this was.

Comrades.

_Family_.

"Are you ready?"

Juvia jumped at the sound of Gray's voice as he stepped beside her to oversee the final members of his crew boarding the ship. Her heart pounded nervously and she found that despite their intimacy, she had no idea how to approach Gray as her captain. She may have the coat and hat of a captain, but the ship was his, and he was pirate.

She was a pirate.

"Ready as ever, Captain Gray-sama."

He scrunched his face at the name, tugging on the brim of her hat to pull it over her eyes. She fought to pull it back up, but he held fast. "I'm going to have to ask you to do things you won't want to do."

"Juvia knows."

"You will have to fight for me, you may have to _kill_ for me, Juvia."

She regained control of her hat by placing her hands about his wrist; his skin was cool to the touch, and Juvia could feel his pulse that signified his life. Was it just her, or where their heartbeats in unison? With a soft motion she pulled his hand from her hat, then pushed it back up.

"Juvia does not want to kill anyone." she answered honestly. "However, Juvia will do what she must to protect what she loves."

The cool, calculating expression he held faltered for a moment before he drew his arms across his chest. Gray closed his eyes, brow knit, and Juvia waited to see how he would respond. Afterall, she had just let slip that she loved him. Was it too soon? Of course it was too soon. Maybe he would look at her and tell her to get off his ship?

"It's time to go." he brushed off her comment, keeping his thoughts to himself. Gray whisked away from her and headed toward the wheel deck.

"Gray-sama..."

"Ghihi. Lady Luck, you're not gonna get much done just standing there." Gajeel walked over, and pushed her toward the center of deck near the masts. "Time to raise the flag and get the hell outta here!"


	14. In the Fog

**Author's Note: ** Thank you for your reviews and support! It means so much to me! Also, this story is hitting it's 1 year anniversary of having been written on 9/22/15! I'm so glad to have all of you along for this ride with me!

_**Seas of Change**_

_**Chapter 14: In the Fog**_

She hissed and closed her eyes, fingers curling into a fist. The blade dug deep into the skin of her wrist, twisting in an intricate design and dragging long lines that would scar. It took all of Juvia's will power to keep her arm still. The pain would be temporary, the blood would stop, the knife would go away and then she could truly say she had given Gray her everything. There was no going back after this.

The thick hand that held her in place suddenly raised her arm in the air. "Lady Luck, you're one of us now."

An eruption of cheers filled the main deck of the _Frozen Banshee _and Juvia opened her eyes to view the pirate brand Gajeel had carved into her wrist, the blood pooling near his where he held her. He glanced at her with an almost sick satisfaction before he let her go and clapped her on the head. Had Juvia not known him as she did, she may have thought he took pleasure in her pain. What he truly felt was some sort of pride, she was sure. Gajeel opened his mouth to speak but whatever he was trying to say drowned out in the noise of the crew. She motioned toward her ears and he shrugged, reaching for a mug of rum instead and joining in the festivities.

"Let me bandage it for you." Loke's voice came close to her ear and she found her hand already in his own as he wrapped the cloth about her wound.

Blood seeped through the fabric on the first three rotations of him arm, and Loke tied it off at the fifth. The mark still ached behind the white muslin but it was an ache that made her smile. "Thank you, Loke-san."

He pressed his glass up the rim of his nose before taking hold of her hand and lifting her from the chair in which she sat. "Come now, don't give me that. Just because you are the Captain's girl doesn't mean you and I can't have our own fun, right?"

"Loke-san?"

He smirked and pulled Juvia toward the crew, twirling her as the men toasted and cried out in her triumph. She found herself laughing and accepting the gifts of the people who had become her home, her family, her friends. A dagger, a gold necklace, bread, beer, rum, a pair of boots that were definitely too big… all things she knew they had pillaged and stored away for the appropriate moment. The feeling of acceptance was overwhelming and foreign- the carving of her pirate brand had not made her cry, but the love of the crew would.

She glanced toward the wheel deck where Gray stood overseeing her initiation, his arms crossed and head bowed. In the moonlight it was difficult to make out his face but his movements as he drew nearer to the railing told her all she need to know.

"Men!"

The crew hushed and turned at the sound of his voice; Juvia felt her own body shifting in attention to his command. The same power he held over his crew that had once placed fear in her was inspiring her instead, drawing her toward him, encouraging her to fight for him. To give everything for him, for the crew, for the ship. This is why he was Captain of a ship of misfits, the savior of a band of men who had no other place in the world but their freedom on the sea.

"And woman!" Natsu corrected from her left.

If Gray heard him, he made no comment. "Unsheathe your swords."

To impress his point, Gray pulled his own weapon from the scabbard. Juvia watched as everyone around her did the same and pointed the weapons toward the night sky, starlight glinting from each steel blade. They began to stomp their feet to a rhythm she could not place, chanting in unison until Gray had lifted his own weapon toward the sky.

"We welcome a sister at sea, a woman who has proven her worth and cunning, to the crew of the _Frozen Banshee._"

"Yo!" the crew screamed, and stomped.

Juvia found they had slowly shifted to either side of her, leaving her in the center of the deck as the person of honor. Not one of them broke their gaze upon their Captain, listening with trained diligence to his words. This was a ceremony they had performed many times, one that they cherished, one that bound them as a crew.

"The sea will become her home, has it has for us. This ship will become her weapon, as it has for us. When she will fight for us, we will fight for her. We live and die by the sea, and the same will be for Juvia Lockser."

"Aye!" the crew stomped twice.

Gray lowered his sword, pointing it in her direction. Juvia felt herself stand straighter, felt her head lift so she could meet his eye. Where had this boldness in her come from? Gray was her Captain now, not her her lover. The need to appease him as such inspired her to meet his gaze and heed his words.

"Will you fight for this crew?"

"Aye!" she heard her voice, but did not know where the command to answer had come from. Instinct, perhaps.

"Will you protect your comrades, and come to their aid in battle?"

"Aye!"

"Do you chose to live by the sea and respect the Pirates Code?"

"Aye, Captain!"

Gray's other hand reached for the bannister, and the stomping of the crew began again. For a moment there were no other sounds but the rhythmic beating of boot on wood until Gray stood straight again, another sword in his hand. He held it by the center of the scabbard and tossed it off the wheel deck in her direction. She stumbled forward but managed to catch it, the weight of it far lighter than any of the weapons she had practiced with on the _Titania_. Juvia drew the weapon toward herself, eyeing the sapphire edging of the hilt, the masterful carving of the sheath.

"Draw your sword."

She paused, glancing toward Gray as if in question. His gaze never wavered, nor did he give her any hint as to what exactly he was feeling. Juvia withdrew the blade slowly and followed suit with her crew mates, lifting it toward the sky with her bandaged arm.

The crew erupted into cheers, clanging their weapons together above their heads until Gray placed his own back within it's hold. The next instant Juvia felt herself being lifted from the ground and above the heads of the deckhands, gunners, and stewards. Gray left her line of sight as she was drawn away from the upper deck and down into the hold where a feast lay prepared with fresh wines to celebrate her induction into the crew.

Juvia realized, with a bubble of pride, that only a month ago she would have rather been tossed overboard than become a member of this crew- and yet here she was, clothed in Gray's jacket and hat, a sword in her hand and pirate brand upon her wrist, wondering how she had ever viewed this crew as anything other than what they were.

A family. _Her_ family.

* * *

The ruckus on the ship deck died down as the night sky turned from black to blue, sunlight slowly ebbing its way over the horizon. Juvia had stumbled drunkenly back to Gray's cabins hours before he himself had, and as he opened the doors he found her lying across the bed a top the blankets still fully dressed. His lips tweaked into a grin as he closed the door and headed toward her. Loke and Natsu had taken over the wheel deck, steering them toward the largest break in the Balam seige, where they would meet with the _Thunder God_'s crew for the remainder of their passage out of of the encirclement.

He dropped his coat to the floor before he sat on the edge of the bed to pull off his boots. Standing once more to remove his pants, Gray took in the content expression of Juvia's sleeping face, the way her blue hair cascaded everywhere yet seemed to be entirely in place. She was still drunk even in sleep- the pink tinge of her cheeks told him that much. The crew had taken her into to all of their traditions; the drinking games, the drunken brawls, the feats of strength. Once she had dropped the wall, it had surprised even him how well she kept up with the crew.

She had spent months keeping everyone at arms length. Now she enveloped them and drew them together in a way he could have never hoped to. They saw the same thing in her that he did- a place to rest.

A home.

Gray removed his hat from its place near her head and set it on the cabinet near the bed. With deft hands he unbuckled her sword belt and slipped it from beneath her, placing it near his own against the wall. A few tugs, and he'd managed to remove her boots and socks which he tossed into a corner. She stirred a bit and he stopped, watching her expression as her eyes crinkled and lips parted slightly. Her breathing had changed.

Was she _pretending_ to be asleep?

He set her foot gently onto the mattress and lifted her right arm; she closed her eyes tighter. Gray lifted her branded wrist toward his lips, pressing a gentle kiss to the fabric of her bandage. Her fingers stiffened. He lowered her arm and brushed a strand of hair from her face; the muscles of her cheeks tightened as if warding off a smile.

So she was awake. Gray smirked. If she wanted to play games, he could play games too.

He lowered himself beside her, running his fingers along the buttons of her tunic; he could feel her stiffen beneath his touch, and found he wanted to draw more of that out of her. He unbuttoned the top slowly, running his fingers along all the planes of her body that each button exposed. The fabric fell loose and he dipped his hand inside, pulling at the stays that held her breasts from his view. He could feel as she sucked in breath at his touch.

There was no reason for him to hold back. The act would be nothing new, and yet somehow the freshness of it drew a new kind of primal excitement, a heat that drew him near, made him hard for her. She was his, truly in every way. This was far deeper than he had expected, an urge that kept drawing him back for more. She had stayed with him- the girl he never thought he could win over. She had invaded his thoughts and overtaken him instead.

Yet she lay in his bed, pirate brand upon her wrist and a hardly concealed smile overcoming her lips, and she had given herself all to him too.

He dipped his head and kissed the valley between her breasts, his hands finding their place on her hips to keep her still. She jolted, gasping in shock, and Gray knew he had won. He rubbed his cheek on the softness of her skin, his lips moving around the curve of her breast to the tautness of her nipple before he glanced toward her face.

"So you are awake."

"Gray-sama! You would take advantage of Juvia even in her sleep?"

He lifted his head, but his hand drew from her hip to the inside of her thigh, drawing slowly up toward the warmth of her center. "You were awake the whole time."

Her arms flew over her face to conceal the deception in her eyes and the smile that had fallen over her lips. Gray let his hand cup her through the fabric of her pants, his middle finger stroking softly. The way Juvia writhed and moved at his touch was satisfying in a way Gray had never felt before. He wanted draw her out, cause her to lose control of herself- to make her feel as reckless in him as he did in her.

"That's not the-" she paused and arched at the feel of his hand. "- not the point, Gray-sama! What if Juvia was testing you?"

He stopped his motions, and pulled her arms away from her face. The pink tinge from a night of a drink was still high upon her cheeks, but the rest of the flush was entirely different. Gray lowered his face near her own, just a hairsbreadth away from her lips.

"Did I pass?'

"Just kiss Juvia, Gray-sama."

* * *

The love they made was gentle yet fierce, tender in it's closeness and passionate in its climax. Juvia had nearly bit through her lip trying to contain her cries of pleasure. Gray had explored her in ways she had never been touched before, tasted her where she'd never been kissed, and drawn a new sense of purpose from her. She loved him. Juvia knew that she loved him, a crushing kind of love that cared not for the person beneath it or those around, only that it be felt in the purest of its form. This was the call within her that had drawn out her sympathies and frustrations, what sustained her now.

Juvia loved Gray.

She wasn't sure exactly how to tell him directly; was it too soon? Was now the time, as they lay in each others arms, his hand in her hair? Or perhaps tomorrow, on the dawn- maybe once she had proven herself a productive member of his crew?

And what would she do if he refuted her? No, no- there was no way that the love they made could have been made by anyone who did not love. He had come for her when she'd escaped the _Titania._ He had fought for her when he had discovered her with Lyon. In his rage he had kissed her and made her his, inside and out. He had given her his hat, had welcomed her to his crew. He wanted her here. Juvia could only hope that he needed her too.

"Gray-sama?"

"Ah?"

She twisted in his hold, glancing toward his face in the dimness of the room. He had closed the shutters, stating he had been up throughout the night and needed to sleep. She could go join the crew when she felt her legs could sustain her weight. Juvia had blushed. He had smirked.

"What happens now? Juvia does not know all the details… but there is a war coming, isn't there?"

He was silent for a moment, his hold tightening. With her cheek pressed to his chest, Juvia could hear the way his heart rate rose at her question. Was he scared?

"We'll be breaking through to Balam Alliance lines tonight."

"Tonight?" Juvia shot up in the bed. "Are you sure? We couldn't have possibly traveled that far already?"

"Everyday we sail, they sail too. The line is closing. We have allies on the outside that I need to meet if we're going to win this. We have to attack on two fronts."

Juvia was silent, trying to make out his face. She could feel the way his muscles tightened, the strain in his voice as he retold what had to be done. There had been a time when Juvia believed Gray put the lives of his men on the line lightly; it was in the darkness of this room that she discovered she could not have been more wrong. Gray's whole body was tense with the reality of the situation. Someone he loved as a brother had betrayed him. A war was about to start. His ship and his crew were caught in the middle and would lead the charge.

It was a task Juvia could not envy of him.

"Are you afraid?" He asked.

She shook her head. "No. Juvia will gladly fight for Gray-sama, she will fight for the crew."

"Could you kill someone if you needed to?"

The question caught her off guard, but she knew the message behind it. He was concerned that she would be a liability, that she wasn't strong enough to do what needed to be done. "Juvia is fighting! You cannot lock her away!"

A look of pain flashed in his eyes for less time than it took to blink. "I don't want anything to happen to you."

"Juvia is the only one who controls Juvia's fate. You may have Juvias heart but that does not give you the right to try and hide her away and place yourself in the line of fire! Juvia will fight to protect what she loves. Juvia is a part of this crew, and we are a family, and that's what family does!" she could hardly believe she was begging him. Hadn't he been the one asking her if she could fight for him?

Hadn't it been Gray who had asked if she would work to protect this crew, this ship?

Tears stung in the corners of her eyes; whether from anger or his lack of trust in her, she did not know. Erza had told her that Gray would appreciate her power, her strength…

"I'm sorry." he pulled her back down to his side. "I'm sorry."

"Gray-sama, you are a terrible Captain…." she pounded her fist into his chest, for the first time feeling his hopelessness. Had he felt this way when he looked for in the street of Torenju, the terrible feeling of being unable to protect what mattered most to him?

"You're right, I am." He held her close and kissed the top of her head. "I have to protect everyone in this crew. Not just you."

"Juvia too."

* * *

When Juvia awoke, it was to an empty room. Her naked skin tingled at the chill; they were back in Gray's preferred northern seas. She could smell the change in the salt that hung in the air, the way the cold caused the ship to creak. She had spent most of her day in bed nursing a hangover with his express permission to miss out on her duties about the ship.

She padded to the windows to open the shudders, finding the sea covered in a frothy fog that blocked out the remaining sunlight. Fog over the frigid waters of the north? Juvia could not remember a time Gray had ever risked sailing into waters rife with icebergs and frozen hazards in the darkness. A sinking sensation of foreboding fell over her.

The air was too cold. The fog was too thick. She knew Gray would never take an uncalculated risk, so something had driven them into the frozen waters and off course.

She rushed across the room, throwing her clothing on as quickly as possible. The silence on deck was deafening. Shouldn't she hear the chanting of the men as they manned the sails, as they prepare the guns, as they cleaned and stomped across, as they brawled? Juvia reached for her sword and belt, strapping them about her waist with a speed she had never used before. She grabbed a dagger she had received from Erza upon completing her training and hid it within the leather pouch she'd sewn into her boots.

Juvia slammed the door open to the deck and stumbled out as she placed Gray's hat upon her head.

The crew stood in rows, overlooking the fog on the sea. In the distance Juvia could make out lights that blinked through the dimness; they surrounded the ship on all sides.

"Dammit..." Gajeel growled into the darkness. "Get to the canons!"

"What happened?" Juvia tried to ask, but she found herself swept up in the commotion of the deck as everyone moved to their places.

This was different from the urgency they had when attacking a single naval ship. Each man wore lines of distress and fear along his brow, preparing for the oncoming threat that surrounded them from all sides. How had this happened? Juvia turned her attention to the wheel deck where Gray stood at the ready, Natsu and Loke on either side of him. If he was afraid, he did not show it. His face was a show of solidarity to his men as they did what needed to happen. Natsu took over the right flank where she stood, instructing everyone to draw their swords. Loke took over the left.

"Natsu?"

He stopped in his straight march to the right side of the hull, glancing toward her. "Juvia, are you ready for this?"

"How…?"

"Magic users. We didn't know they had someone on their side who could make ships materialize anywhere." he explained. "But don't worry about it! Gray'll handle all the steering, we just have to do the fighting. Doesn't matter how many there are, they can't beat us in the ice."

He took hold of her by the elbow and led her the rest of the way to their station. Juvia found herself standing by his side as Natsu addressed his part of the platoon.

"I'm all fired up!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. "Lets kick some Balam ass!"


	15. Sea Snake

**Author's Note: ** Thank you for your support! I hope everyone is ready for the upcoming war. I'll definitely need your cheering on to get through it! Lots of surprises on the way, and lots of action! Lets see how many of you predicted things right :)

_**Seas of Change**_

_**Chapter 15: Sea Snake**_

Gray pulled the ship wheel to starboard, feeling the way his ship shifted with the forced angle of the rudders. From his position on the wheel deck he was able to identify two of the four ships on portside- _Tartaros_ and _Oracion Seis_. The others were smaller and less heavily equipped, so they were likely additions to the Balam Armada. At starboard he spied the sails of _Avatar_, but the two others were nameless to his memory. Gray would take his chance with _Avatar_ and evade _Tartaros_ and _Oracion Seis_. He knew better than to try forcing his ship through the small opening to the east. They had already proven to have a territory magic user who could make their ships appear at will.

They were trapped. They would have to fight.

He slammed the ruby communication lacrima Ichiya had installed on the wheel, listening to the static as he continued to hold the ship in an acute right turn.

"Gray?" Erza's voice filtered through the shouts of his crew.

"Have you and the others left Torenju?"

"Two days ago- where are you?"

He grit his teeth. "Remember the territory mage Levy mentioned?"

"Minerva. I've met her."

"She's with _Tartaros, _right?"

"You're surrounded." It wasn't question, and he could hear Erza shifting around on her own ship, slamming things and preparing to make the necessary changes in course. "How many are there?"

Gray let go of the wheel and let it spin back to correct the severe angle he had been pulling, the bow of his ship pointing directly toward the _Avatar._ "Seven, I only recognize three."

"I'll round up the others and we'll head to you shortly."

He lifted his left arm, directing Loke to have the crew change direction of the sails. "The water's cold, Erza." He knew she wouldn't require anything else to find him.

"Give them hell, Gray."

He heard the line go silent, and watched as his crew took on their assigned roles. They knew this tactic well. Loke's team held the ropes to Ultear's enchanted sails steady as they waited for his call; Natsu lined his crew upon the bannisters to prepare their departure to the _Avatar_, should the initial plan fail. Gajeel's canons came into view out the ship portside hull and Gray leveled his eyes with the black sails in front of him.

He pressed the topaz, quartz and peridot lacrima on the ships wheel simultaneously, connecting himself to the _Thunder God, Sabertooth _and _Lamia Scale_. He waited for their verification of having received his distress signal before he made any other motion. In a swift movement Gray threw off his coat, the crew roared, and the sails were pulled. Ultear's sails were unique- it did not matter the direction of the wind, they could propel his ship in any direction he chose, and at a speed that rivaled none. They could also stop the ship in an instant instead of a slow roll without the use of an anchor.

Gray dug his hands onto the spokes of the ships wheel as the ship blared forward, headed directly for _Avatar_'s bow. Behind them loomed an ice field that spread like coral under the surface- if he could push them back into the ice, then he could avoid sending Juvia over onto the enemy ship with Natsu. His knuckles turned white with his hold as they drew closer. What would _Avatar_'s captain chose to do? Turn left? Turn right? Turn and flee?

Or would they chance slamming into the _Frozen Banshee_ head on?

It didn't matter. Either way, he would win. The fog was thick but Gray knew these waters better than any other ship on the Fiore Sea. He knew the ice field. He knew how to gauge the change in water flow and the wind.

The biggest flaw in the Balam's plan was to chase them into the frigid northern waters.

* * *

They were going to fast. Juvia held tight to the ballast Natsu had lifted her near, feeling the icy water whip against her skin as they charged head first toward a ship with black sails. It was by far the largest ship on this side of the blockade. The rest of the crew stood with practiced ease, leaning to the side, prepared to jump ship at the whim of their captain. Natsu's usual cheerful demeanor had turned to a confident smirk, his eyes narrowed in excitement for the fight.

Juvia couldn't understand the easy courage they all held. She was shaking in her boots.

Her eyes roamed back to the ships stern, watching the way Gray stood in the center, their life line in that moment. His gaze remained focused beyond the sails to the ship ahead in the fog, his pose strong and rigid. Was he afraid now, the way she was, the way he had exposed himself only hours before when they lay together in his bed? She couldn't sense a hint of distress from him.

If Gray was confident, then she needed to be as well. It didn't matter the odds they were against. They were family, and family had to fight for each other.

"Damn… they're not moving." Natsu almost growled. "Hang tight!"

Juvia felt the ship shifting to starboard once more, a fast motion that caused it to tilt. They barely missed the hull of the enemy ship as Gray redirected them from a face-to-face collision to instead a side-by-side confrontation. The cannons on the port side blasted into the ship opposite the main deck- Juvia was sure that somehow she could hear Gajeel barking orders over the blasts. The _Frozen Banshee _came to an abrupt, rushed halt between the pair of ships, a rush of water flying onto the deck at the forced change of momentum.

What was Gray thinking?

Natsu shoved a rope into Juvia's hands. "On three okay?"

It was then she noticed the rest of the crew had already jumped ship. She felt the frayed braiding in her hands and glanced at Natsu, her determination rising with the anxiousness.

"Three!" she said, and Juvia lept from the ledge, her body careening across the small expanse of sea between the two ships. She let go of the rope and landed roughly on the deck of the enemy's ship, in the middle of the fray.

There was no going back now.

Metal clashing with metal rung in her ears as Juvia stood. It was hard to distinguish friend from foe in the foray of steel and blood, their bodies shifting in and out of the crowd along the blackened wooden deck. Cries of war and the sounds of the dying filtered through the air and it took all of Juvia's willpower not to cover her ears. She had known this would eventually happen… she could not play pirate on the _Frozen Banshee_ and expect to not live the life of a pirate.

She would have to fight for her livelihood, and the for the lives of others- she had known that when she took her vow, had accepted it when she allowed the brand to be carved into her wrist. Juvia lamented the fact that her heart was fickle- instead of the pounding surge of adrenaline and passion she had expected to draw her through this first fight, it beat with sympathy for every man falling around her. Was there really no other way?

The pounding of feet to her left drew Juvia from her thoughts and back into the battle; she drew her sword with just enough time to parry the attack that was aimed for her neck. The man opposite of her smirked before he withdrew to charge at her again. She blocked once more, shifting her feet to help ease the force of the attack through her body and to maintain her balance. She should attack back.

She needed to attack back.

Juvia continued blocking, stepping further back with each swing. Her opponent was gaining ground and she remained on the defensive.

Biting her lip, Juvia narrowed her eyes and sought for some resolve. There was a purpose to this fight, to this battle, to this death. Gray had explained to her many moons ago that they only attacked when required, and only killed when necessary. They had been sailing unprovoked for days, and these ships- this alliance- had appeared in the fog with the intention of overtaking them. The _Frozen Banshee_ and her crew could be singing from the bottom of the sea, deep in the frozen wastes, if she did not gain her ground.

_Fight Juvia, fight!_

The crew needed her to be strong- Gajeel, Natsu, and Loke were counting on her to be an ally not a hindrance. Gray needed her to live. He would never forgive himself if she didn't. And what of him? If she died now, Juvia couldn't protect him either. Erza had taught her this much. She couldn't allow their efforts to go to waste here, now, when it truly mattered. There were no other options.

Being a pirate was kill or be killed. Her teeth ground together. That didn't change the fact that either she or the man she was facing would die in the confrontation.

Closing her eyes, she shifted her left foot behind her. The man she fought came forward with his full strength, his sword sliding along the edge of Juvia's as she pressed forward and around him. In a swift movement she spun on her right leg, bringing the left around in a strong kick that sent her enemy flying into the ships railing. She drew back and stabbed forward in a quick, unforgiving motion.

Juvia didn't notice the tears until she had withdrawn the weapon from the mans back and he crumpled to the floor, blood pooling around him and soaking into the darkened deckwood. Her body shook as she wiped them away- she felt no sadness, only a deep hollow rooted in her stomach. Was this the life she had condemned the crew for leading? When a beast reared it's head and sought to overtake its prey, was the victim condemned for defending itself with quills or poison?

They were living the only life they knew. It was now her life too. How wrong had she had been all this time? The seas was unforgiving, pulling men to their basest of instincts, away from the safety of society. How weak and ungrateful she must have seemed- living in the orphanage, caring for the children, walking through the streets of Crocus without fear for her life, believing the men of the sea to be savage and dangerous. They were anything but. They were just fighting to survive in a world that would have them undone.

_Gray-sama…_ _Juvia finally understands._

She tightened her hold on the sword before turning into the fray with a startling cry. The death was senseless, the fighting brutal, but she had to get back to the _Frozen Banshee_, back to Gray. She had to protect her family and their home. Let the enemy come, let them drive forward in droves- Juvia would plow through them all until her body could fight no more, if it meant protecting the only place she had ever been truly more than just an orphan.

* * *

The smaller ship on portside began to tilt from the onslaught of Gajeel's cannons, creaking as it attempted to turn and flee. Gray glanced behind them, seeing how the _Tartaros_ continued looming toward them with it's flagships in tow. _Oracion Seis_ had disappeared in the fog… did they back off to collect the rest of the aramada? His eyes narrowed shortly before he noticed the yellow glow from the ship wheel.

"Laxus?"

"Move your crew into the ice fields, we'll take care of the rest."

Gray glanced around, finding no sight of the _Thunder God_. The ship was well known for weaving in and out undetected thanks to the cloaking capabilities provided by their sole magic user Freed. If Laxus had reached back out to him, they must have been close. He motioned to Loke with two swift movements of his palms, and his boatswain rushed to the main mast to sound the alarm to return to the ship. The sound was a mournful, low toned horn that blared in a way that was intended to intimidate while also recalling his crew.

As the blows of the horn echoed amongst the cannon fire, Gray watched as his crew swung back onto the ship. He took count of each person as they landed back on the deck, his eyes scanning for the sole female member of his crew. He had seen her swing over without assistance, prepared to fight a battle she had never encountered before. His skin prickled as the men returned and she did not, his hands wringing about the wood of the ship wheel in his impatience.

She finally came across with the second to last wave of men, landing hard but devoid of any blood or injuries he could see. Juvia stood among the crew as if she had always been with them, and turned toward him, her head held high. Gray tilted his hat, and watched as she did the same in return. He was okay. She was okay. He let out the breath he hadn't been aware he was holding, his heart beating quickly in response.

He had to focus. There was more to his crew than Juvia.

Natsu landed last and gave Gray the signal to move them on; he rushed to return to the gundeck and instruct Gajeel, skin green with his damned seasickness. Gray lifted his hand and dropped it quickly, Loke's crew once again accepting the signal as they pulled the enchanted sails into position to propel them forward. The ship moved at staggering pace as the gunfire stopped, Natsu's brigade fending off any member of Avatar that attempted to rush onto their ship as they made their departure.

Gray controlled the wheel and felt out the familiarity of the ice hidden beneath the ocean surface, its knife-like fingers extending to draw forth any ship foolish enough to draw near. Ice was like a siren, it's song the calm that covered the deadly intention beneath the surface. Gray had sent many ships into the hands of the ice field as they pursued unawares of the danger. He knew the path, and in their attempts to overtake him they were doomed. Loke lowered the sails to slow their escape as they maneuvered deeper into the field.

A bolt of lightning cleared the fog, booming loudly from behind. Laxus had made his strike with the specialized guns he had equipped on his ship; Gray glanced behind him shortly to see _Avatar_ erupted in flames. The Balam Aramada now knew the _Frozen Banshee_ was not alone, and that they would not go down without a fight.

"Captain!"

Gray pulled his attention back to his own ship, catching sight too late of the _Oracion Seis_ and their steel bow slamming into his portside. He held tight to the ship wheel to correct the angle the collision had set them on, the shouts of his crew pushing his attempts to turn further into the enemy ship. They would take damage, but it was better than capsizing here. No one could survive long in the frigid waters Gray had pulled them into. He ignored the splashes of the crew he lost to the sea, and focused instead on pulling the ship in a full circle to bring them side-by-side the enemy.

The _Frozen Banshee_ finally righted herself and the crew scrambled to portside.

How the hell had the _Oracion Seis_ snuck into the ice field? Territory magic again?

"_Lamia Scale_ has arrived." Jura's voice came from the silver colored quartz on the ship wheel. "There are more ships inbound from the Balam; we spied _Phantom Lord_ and _Reitei Vengeance_ nearing with six more flagships."

The green peridot flashed, Sting's voice filtering through. "_Sabertooth_ will round 'em up!"

"_Oracion Seis_ just appeared in the ice field." Gray responded. "Get all the firepower on _Tartaros_ and take out the territory magic user. Until we do that, we'll be chasing our own tails."

Gray closed out the communication, relying on Laxus to lead the rest of the back up until he could finish dealing with the ship that had nearly imbedded itself in his hull. He moved down the stairwell as the crew of the _Oracion Seis_ used the element of surprise to wash over onto his ship. Why the _Oracion Sei_s_? _It was not a ship equipped to fight here, but was still one of the ships he would have preferred to avoid until the end.

Three men rushed to meet him on the stairwell to the wheel deck, and Gray dipped with his sword drawn, pushing upward with a force the man in front of him had not expected. His sword imbedded deep in the mans chest, and Gray used him as a shield to propel himself the rest of the way to the deck. The swords of his allies pressed into his back until Gray had pushed him off his own sword, and the man stumbled and fell over the railing.

* * *

Juvia ran about the main sail her sword ramming into that of a member of the ship she had heard the crew call the _Oracion Seis_. The man lifted his sword in two hand to swing down upon her head; she lifted her own sword to block the attack, using her lower body to support the weight of the other man's force. He was powerful and did not let up or move to a new attack, instead trying to break her block. She allowed her knees to flex and lowered her body so she was below him, his weight baring down on her like a vice.

The man suddenly went lax and fell to the mast, a knife embedded in his skull.

"Dammit Lady Luck, I can't be around saving your ass the whole time!"

"Gajeel-kun?"

He growled and hoisted her up to her feet again, shoving a few knives into the pockets on her belt. "I taught you better than that, didn't I?"

She couldn't help herself, despite the situation. Juvia smiled. "I had it under control."

"Like hell you did." he shifted so he stood at her back. "It's going to get harder. Can you do this?"

"Juvia is a member of this ship too."

"Gihi." Juvia cold hear the smirk on his lips. "Don't let me catch you down like that again."

She felt him leave to head back into the battle, a feeling of warmth overcoming her. He was right. She needed to prove she could control this, needed to show the enemy she was in charge. No one should have to save her. Her hand gripped her sword tighter as she continued her way through the deck, pushing the enemy back with all she had in her.

Juvia glanced toward the wheel deck, finding Gray had abandoned it and was most likely somewhere in the center of the fray, leading the crew in a desperate attempt to eradicate the enemy that had stepped foot on board. However, someone was standing near the wheel, overseeing the onslaught with one eye closed, deeply scarred. His arms were crossed and his stance relaxed as if he did not expect anyone to come for him. Her eyes narrowed, and Juvia broke into a sprint to Gray's cabin.

The door flew open with ease, and she shut it again with her foot before she continued to the back stairwell. The man could easily spot her if she used the deck stairs, but one of the upgrades to Gray's ship was a hidden staircase that led to the upper deck and could be taken to the shipwheel from behind through a trapdoor. She pulled the liquor case back just enough to slid through and climb the few steps that led to the hatch. Juvia toyed with the lock until it came free and slowly pushed the door upward.

Climbing out, she took care to close the door as silently as possible. The man had not turned from his view of the battle, the back of his red coat facing her as a tempting target. She could rush him now and take him by surprise- Juvia inched forward, her weapon drawn.

One foot in front of the other, as silent as a mouse.

She stood straight, her sword before her with one hand on the back of the hilt. Her heart was pounding, blood rushing to her temples and beating harshly in her ears. He remained motionless.

Juvia started off on her right foot, positioned to stab and press her sword through him. Instead she stumbled forward, her hands locking inside the spokes of the ship wheel as if he had never been there at all. The wheel turned and her arms twisted along with it, pinned between the railing and the direction the wheel turned. The angle her arm was locked in drew a sharp pain; any further and it would break. She dropped to her knees as the wheel gave way and pulled her arm free.

"I could hear you coming. You should have known better."

Her head pulled back with a snap, Gray's hat fluttering to the ground as she reached for the offending hand. The man stepped on her foot and leaned her back by the tight hold of her hair, and Juvia's eyes flashed open. Her arm was too sore to stop his hold. How had he heard her?

Their eyes met for a moment, and she noted with dread that his smile grew more sinister, as if he recognized something in her that Juvia herself did not.

"So _you're _Juvia." he chuckled a bit. "Gray should have hidden you better."

* * *

"Gray!"

He heard his name shouted from behind, barely distinguishable over the sounds of swords clashing and the howl of the northern sea winds. The voice was familiar, a threat that Gray remembered well from Torenju and the _Copper Barnacle_. A cool rush of fear fell from his head to his stomach, his hair standing on end as he turned in the direction of the voice. He could see Cobra standing on the wheel deck, one foot against the railing. Nothing else.

"Is she still nothing?"

Cobra pulled Juvia out from behind him, his hand deeply rooted in her hair. She winced and opened her eyes, defiant as Gray knew her to be, but it didn't quell the dread that fell over him. They had found her, in the middle of this battle. He could feel his pulse raise, feel the flutter in his chest as his mouth turned into a sneer. This was why the Balam had sent _Oracion Seis_ after the _Frozen Banshee_. They had Cobra, and Cobra knew his weakness. They had exploited it once and failed.

The red haired man drew Juvia upward onto her toes, as she pulled her face from him. Gray saw then that her left arm was bloodied and she cradled it near her chest. What the hell had he done to her? Her sword was no where in sight. Cobra smirked from his perch above the battlefield, his eye trained on Gray on the opposite side of the deck.

"I can hear her fear." Cobra remarked. "Her heartbeat betrays everything."

"Let her go." Gray knew he needed yell, his low growl could be heard by Cobra well enough.

He leaned back as if contemplating Gray's request, then slammed Juvia face first into the deck railing. She cried out as he pulled her back and Gray jumped forward, his pulse racing. Cobra pulled his sword with his empty hand, flipping to hold it downward like a knife, poised well above her head. Juvia sat limply beside him.

He had known, and he'd still let her be placed in danger. His right hand wrung about the hilt of his sword, his body refusing to move. If he moved, Juvia died. If he stayed where was, Cobra would continue to toy with her until she did. It was his fault; he should have kept his distance, should have let her go in Magnolia. Keeping her on the ship had been a mistake.

Now he was going to lose her too.

Gray lowered his head. There had to be something, anything he could do. The fear was rising and he didn't care anymore if Cobra could hear or understand what he was feeling. There were few things in this world that Gray wanted so selfishly, few things he loved this deeply. He couldn't lose her here.

"What are your conditions?" he muttered.

Cobra said only one word. "Surrender."


	16. Goddess

**Author's Note: ** Thank you so much for your feedback on the recent chapter! I am so glad everyone is enjoying this so far. Hopefully you'll be just as pleased for this installment… and the war goes on!

_**Seas of Change**_

_**Chapter 16: Goddess**_

Juvia allowed herself to be moved like a doll, feigning unconsciousness against the rushing beat of her heart and the pounding in her head. If this man could truly hear her pulse rate, then it was possible he knew she was still awake. Perhaps he didn't view her as a threat, as his hold on her had laxed as he focused his attention on Gray and his demand of surrender. The way he spoke told her he was sure of his victory. How had he known her name?

Had this been what Lyon meant, when he had told Gray to be glad it was him who had entrapped her on Torenju? Was this man the kind of pirate Gray had mentioned, the ones he feared would come for her?

Her fingers twitched near her boot, feeling for the edge of the dagger she had stored there. Juvia refused to allow herself to be a liability to Gray, refused to allow him to surrender because of her.

"I wouldn't waste time, Gray." the man said smugly. "When _Grimoire Heart_ arrives, you'll all be at the bottom of the sea. I'll gladly hand her over to Hades."

From this distance, she could not hear Gray's response. Whatever it had been elicited a laugh from the man as he lifted her by her hair once more. The burning in her scalp was nothing compared to the pounding in her head, yet it took all of her willpower to keep from wincing. She could feel the edge of his sword find rest along her neck; her fingers held tight to the hilt of the dagger as it slid from within her boot.

"This is your last chance!" he bellowed. "Surrender!"

In a swift movement, Juvia set her right foot down just enough to pivot and embed the dagger into the man's side just below the rib. His sword sliced along her neck as she turned, but he had no way to defend himself as she used her weight to push the blade in up to the hilt. Her eyes opened as soon his hold her loosened and Juvia stumbled away, hands reaching for the knives Gajeel had added to her belt.

The red haired man pulled the weapon from his torso without so much as a grimace. She watched as the blood stained his jacket and his breathing hitched. The ship swayed and he swayed along with it, using the momentum to step nearer. Another wave of pain emanated from where her skull had met the ship railing, the knives she had fished for falling from her hands in response.

"Surrender or not, you're dying here." he snarled.

Juvia stepped back, her wounded left arm reaching behind her for anything she could use to defend herself. Her heartbeat increased. There were no weapons, no loose pieces of wood or heavy ornaments she could grab to throw at him. To her right was the stairwell that led to the battlefield, and behind her only the promise of an icy grave. She glanced ahead as he stumbled toward her, far more frightening covered in blood than he had been with his back to her only a few moments before. There was nowhere to run.

Juvia closed her eyes as he lifted the sword, preparing for the feel of steel slicing through her skin; instead, she was met with the metallic sound of swords clashing.

"You did well, Juvia-chan. Cobra isn't an easy one to fool."

"Lyon!" she opened her eyes in shock, watching as Lyon's cape settled, his back to her.

He stepped back on his right foot then pushed forward, using the force to knock Cobra off balance and against the opposite side of the ship. Men shuffled up the portside stairwell to overwhelm him, and then Lyon finally turned toward her once more. Juvia's eyes traveled along his face, noting the concern and weariness in his eyes, the way he offered her a smirk as he drew near. His hand found her neck as he frowned, his thumb wiping along the blood; she reached out and knocked his hand away.

"Why are you…?"

"I knew Gray couldn't protect you on his own." Lyon said matter of factly, handing her a handkerchief and motioning for her to clean the blood from her wound.

She shook her head, but accepted the cloth and placed it along the slice on her neck. Her eyes never left Lyon as he turned from her once more. The way he held himself demanded respect and told of a coldness brought on by his own demons. Lyon was not just here to save her. He was here for something else, as she had tried to convince Gray. This was the same man who protected her in the streets of Torenju, not the one who had held her at his mercy.

He had the walk of a man who held so much more in his hands than just his betrayal to the Balam Alliance.

* * *

The war had stopped as soon as Juvia pulled her dagger and overcame Cobra. Gray had watched from his position across the deck, helplessly rooted too far to save her. She struggled to remain standing as Cobra barreled forward like a starved beast with a taste for blood. He watched as she hit the railing and realized there was nowhere else for her to go. She had escaped, and then cornered herself once more at the mercy of a man who felt nothing for her life.

He was going to watch her die.

Every muscle in his body tightened, restricting all movement as the sword flew toward her. Juvia's arms lifted in a feeble attempt to protect herself and the world went silent.

He was going to lose her.

He was going to _lose her_.

_Do something! Move! _

"_Juvia!_" her name tore from Gray's lips like a ship hull against an iceberg, the ache in his chest devoured in the emptiness of fear.

His body broke from its self-paralysis, his feet pounding across the deck. Not here, not now, this was too soon. Damn him for not letting her off his ship back in Magnolia. Damn him for taking her captive at all. It wouldn't matter how quickly he ran, he could never reach her in time. He would have to see his crew through this war knowing she had lost her life for that purpose, that she had died for him.

The moment Cobra's sword should have pressed through her flesh, a shadow appeared between them, swinging with a distinct style Gray knew very well. He stopped, eyes wide.

Lyon.

_That bastard. _

Juvia was right.

No matter how impulsive Lyon was, he would not betray an alliance he had intended to keep. There had been something else to his involvement with the Balam, and now here he was standing aboard the _Frozen Banshee _as if it were his own ship to command, protecting what Gray had been too afraid of losing to do himself. Juvia was alive because of Lyon. Gray hated that he owed him. He hated that he lied. He hated that he hadn't been able to see through the ruse and understand from the beginning.

Lyon pulled a small gun from within the folds of his cloak, lifting it high into the air as he shot a round. The sound echoed until the flare exploded in a burst of blue and red.

The battle began shifting around him; men who had appeared enemies turned on their own. The fog began to fade, revealing the true number of their threats. The _Reitei Vengeance_ sailed silent, guarding the _Frozen Banshee_ on starboard. Beyond it was the_ Phantom Lord_, slowly erupting into flames. An explosion?

The sound of another blast on portside drew Gray's attention to the _Oracion Seis_,where another explosion hammered through the ships stern. In the distance, a chain of explosions echoed; the fog had yet to recede enough for Gray to identify the ships, but in the end it didn't matter. Lyon's angle was clear now- he had infiltrated their ranks, spread his crew across their ships, and commanded them from the central hub of the Fiore Seas Alliance.

The crew of the _Reitei Vengeance_ called out in unison, chanting a fearsome ode across the sea that mixed with their intention. They had taken a great risk to transfer the knowledge of the Balam battle plan from deep within their ranks, and then devise a plan to destroy it. Lyon's crew knew what they were doing, and that they risked losing many in the process.

What had drawn Lyon to do something this risky?

It didn't matter, at least not now. Lyon reached to help Juvia stand as his men forced the crew of the _Oracion Seis_ over the edge or to the deck in pools of blood, and Gray marched forward to regain his position on the wheel deck, where Juvia was—alive.

She was _alive_.

* * *

Juvia watched as Lyon finally lowered the flare gun, turning toward her once again. The fog had receded and the reality of the situation was now clear; she had never seen so many ships in one area, stretched across the horizon like a forest of sails. She could make out many she recognized from Torenju, and still many others that were foreign to her. Could this many ships truly exist in one space, on one sea?

"Lyon-san?"

He turned at the sound of her voice, his expression softening. "I'm sorry, Juvia-chan."

"You were never Gray-sama's enemy." she remarked, drawing the handkerchief from her neck. The blood stain across it was not near as smooth as she had expected. "You did it for him, didn't you?"

"More than that. Can you stand?" he answered, reaching a hand to assist her.

She struggled to her feet once more, leaning heavily on the arm he provided to steady her. Dizziness overcame her as another wave of pain filtered through her skull. There was no way she could continue to fight in this condition; everything hurt and her vision blurred with the slightest movement.

"Why?" the word pulled from her mouth as she lifted her head to face him.

Lyon's eyes widened as she watched him, mouth agape as if her question had stolen all of the words that should have been at the tip of his tongue. Instead he shook his head and eased her to lean on the railing. "It's not the time. We are still out maneuvered. I'll own up to Gray on my own."

Before she could respond, Juvia felt her body shifting with the weight of another pair of hands. "I've come to rescue you, my lady."

"Loke?" Juvia caught sight of his glasses gleaming in the corner of her eye as he turned to support her better.

"I know, you're technically not my lady but we can pretend for a bit can't we?" Loke flashed a smile in her direction before facing Lyon.

Between the two men was a tense silence. There was no malice or ill regard that Juvia could feel, but the coolness of distrust was strong. Loke nodded his ascent to Lyon for assisting "a fair maiden" in her time of need, then assured him that the crew hadn't need of his services. Lyon scoffed. The sounds of battle died and instead turned into an erupted cheer of victory.

Somewhere in the time she had been indisposed, the crew had overcome the ship which had tried to imbed itself in the _Frozen Banshee_'s hull. They had won. Juvia wasn't sure if she should cry or laugh with joy. Either would most likely hurt and pirates were supposed to be fearsome. She had to celebrate with the rest of the crew.

Celebrate that Gray had not surrendered, and instead had come out triumphant.

"Get her below deck. We haven't seen the worst of it yet." Lyon's attention had turned from Juvia and Loke to the opposite side of the wheel deck. "And some unfinished business of our own."


	17. Frozen Banshee

_Author's Note:_ I must apologize for the lateness of updates. Sometimes real life can drain out all the inspiration someone has to write… but we're trucking on through to the final third of this story! I hope you enjoy the conclusion! What will happen next?

_**Seas of Change**_

_**Chapter 17: Frozen Banshee**_

When Gray pulled himself atop the wheel deck, Lyon met his angry gaze with one of no remorse. The asshole had played his cards to come in and be the hero of his own ship, and for what? To prove to Gray that he needed him and his questionable objectives? That if it weren't for him, Juvia would have been lost to Oracion Seis that night she had escaped in Torenju and that he had to save her for Gray a second time?

Would this man, his _brother_, never cease to antagonize him? Could he trust him now?

Lyon's white cape blew elegantly in the seaward winds and he stood tall, patient, and strong. All the things Gray had not been just moments ago.

"Your crew is drastically loyal." Lyon remarked, glancing along the main deck. "Can you call them off mine?"

"They won't kill them."

He scoffed, folding his arms. "I know that, but they can't finish their mission."

"Can we trust you?"

"Is Juvia still breathing, Gray?"

Fisting his hand about the hilt of his jeweled sword, Gray remained silent. He knew that behind him the _Reitei Vengence_'s crew stood at a standstill as Natsu and Gajeel's crews rounded them into the center of the deck for visibility. He knew they were waiting for his direction, knew that Loke had safely stored Juvia away in their cabins to tend to her wounds, and that in this moment he needed to prove why his crew was unshaking in their devotion.

They wouldn't lay a hand on Lyon's men unless Gray told them too. It all depended on how he and Lyon proceeded from this point.

Lyon had sacrificed everything for this rescue. He was now a traitor to the Balam and a target for their anger. That made him a threat to their ship. It also made him an ally, who had protected the things most dear to Gray's heart at the risk of his own crew's lives. Those who had set off the explosions on the _Tartaros, Avatar, Phantom Lord _and _Oracion Seis_ were surely gone, and yet here Lyon stood with a pride Gray rivaled, unshakeable and sure.

The kind of captain he had failed to be that day, and the one he would continue to fail to be. Emotions had no place in the frigid ice fields of the northern waters, but they drew Gray toward Lyon and they drew his arms about his back, pulling him tight.

"Thank you." Gray muttered the words against the sting in his eyes. "You're still a bastard, but I owe you everything."

Lyon made a noise somewhere between a laugh and an emotional crack, returning Gray's embrace. "Ur told us it was okay to fight. She knew that brothers fight to make each other stronger, crybaby Fullbuster."

* * *

"It's not as bad as it looks." Juvia assured Loke as he removed his glasses to get a closer look at the jagged wound across her neck.

He leaned back on his knees to reach for the decorative canister at her feet. "You try to be strong, my lady, but this is going to scar."

"Juvia does not care. She would do it again."

He smirked. "I know. We all would."

Palming the salve from the container, Loke placed it along the heat of her wound. Juvia held back a hiss; Loke worked slow and gentle until his fingers came back without blood and instead with a thick white paste. Sealed to his satisfaction, he drew the cloth bandages about her neck and tucked the edges behind Juvia's blue coils until they laid snug.

"Finish the tonic for your head."

"It's just rum."

"It's a tonic, love." Loke winked. "Rum heals all wounds. You'll want it in your system before I set your shoulder."

Juvia cradled the looseness of her dislocated arm to her stomach, eyeing the tankard of rum Loke had poured from Gray's liquor cabinet. It's spiciness and strength wafted to her nose, drawing memories of her captain's hands drawing slivers from her palm on the night she first came to board this ship that had become her home. That night she had nothing but scathing words and resentment for the crew who had destroyed her passenger ship, but tonight she had fought by their side for the man she'd sworn she'd never love.

Her heart could burst. One night that turned her from finding families for orphans to finding one of her own.

It had started with a battle, nursing her wounds and rum.

Loke held the mug to her lips and Juvia sipped heartily, letting the warm slide down her throat and fill her body with its lack of care. Alcohol and battles and comradery and love. The mug was replaced with a large wad of cloth that he instructed her to bite down on.

He took hold of her arm, moving it fluidly about her to lift the bone and muscle back into place. A quick jerk and a snap, the tightness of her mouth over the fabric as it stifled her cry, and all that was left was the ache of broken attachments reformed. She pulled the gag from her mouth, panting as Loke took a seat across of her her.

"I think that was just as bad for me." He remarked.

Juvia glanced toward him, sitting straight in the chair as he cleaned the battle off his lenses and replaced them about his nose with a resolute push. "Juvia is sure it was terrible for you."

"I hate hurting beautiful women."

"Juvia is sure you've wounded many."

"Occupational hazard."

"Why do you help Juvia, Loke? You have always helped Juvia."

Silence fell between them, her eyes focused on his downcast face. He was thinking, formulating an appropriate answer—another flirtatious response, no doubt. This was the man who had teased her mercilessly and yet offered her his rooms in the most respectable of manners. He had promised to help her win Gray over, and although she knew not what his influence had been she couldn't deny that it had worked. Despite the moments Juvia had questioned if his intentions had been for her to fall for him, Loke had remained true to his word.

"The Captain needs you." He answered honestly.

"Gray-sama needs no one."

"He _needs_ you. We've never seen him this alive. He protects and guides this crew, but he was cold until you came. I have known him to lay with women at port but never make attachment, like many of us have done, but you were the one he couldn't let go. It was as much for him as it was for you."

Juvia felt as if she should be jealous of the other women who had enjoyed Gray's company the way she had, but the emotion refused to rise. She knew the love making they had was not a passing fancy, and born witness to the condemning power of Gray's feelings, and had come out as the victor. There was no reason to hate the nameless faces she would never know and he would never share. She was confident in the reality that she was his.

Reaching for his hat atop her head, Juvia twisted it nervously.

"That, and you are sinfully cute when you blush." Loke responded.

* * *

"The calm won't last long." Lyon warned.

"You crippled their crews, Lyon. How can they continue fighting?" it was Erza's voice, filtered through the red lacrima on the ships wheel.

Gray pressed the yellow, blue and silver, connecting them through to the_ Thunder God, Sabertooth _and _Lamia Scale. _The other captains grunted their greetings and shared the status of their ships and crew; they had lost _Blue Pegasus_ to the north of the battlefield but recovered the crew. _Crime Sorceire_ had yet to make it to the point of battle. _Grimoire Heart_ had yet to be spotted among the debris that littered Gray's iceberg fortress.

"Where are they?" Laxus's voice gave no quarter, his lack of trust in Lyon filtering through the communication lacrima like fire.

"They will be here soon." He answered. "The fact that _Tartaros_ has not moved is proof enough that while we managed to create a distraction, Minerva is still alive and they still believe they can win."

"The territory mage?"

Eying Lyon, Gray could see the weight of what he had done cracking through the creases about his eyes. Lyon had sent part of his crew to slaughter. He had known it, and so had they, but the reality that part of their last had failed settled over him like a ghost.

"_Grimoire Heart_ was sent to secure a dangerous allegiance with the Royal Navy. They have an entire army at their disposal. She is biding her time to summon them all to the grounds at once."

The uproar that came across from the ship wheel was near deafening. Lyon had risked everything to protect Gray, but he had also placed himself in the line of fire to keep all of the Fiore Seas Alliance alive. He had been hunting the navy that had destroyed their lives. He had proof of their corruption.

He hadn't been able to stop them.

"We fight." Gray's voice broke up the arguments the truth had alighted. "Lyon may have been a threat, but he isn't now. If we fight down to the last man, then that's what we do."

"They're not here yet. How much power must she amass before they can be summoned?" Jura questioned.

Sting responded first. "We've heard a lot about her. She's powerful, so it could be at any moment."

"If we can't stop her, then we've lost."

Lyon glanced toward the horizon where _Tartaros_ remained, central in the three remaining ships that surrounded them. They had yet to take an offensive maneuver and smoke continued to billow through their sails, but the threat they presented was still alive. Gray listened to the banter between the rest of the alliance as they debated on the best course of action to take with a growing determination taking root in his stomach.

"We can die on their terms or we can die on ours; we live by the sea, and we'll die by it too. Whether that's today or tomorrow doesn't matter. We won't be taken by them to die in cells or hanged in the courtyards of their cities, but we'll put up a fight they'll sing about in legends. We'll take as many of them with us as we can." His voice rose in power the more he spoke. "We're wasting time arguing, the only decision is if you will fight alongside us."

Catching Lyon's gaze in the corner of his eye, Gray saw him nod in approval. They were the bouys in the center of this battle; they wouldn't escape without a fight. If it would just be the two of them and their battered crews and damaged ships then they would charge forward without regret. They had no time for chatter or strategy.

They were pirates. There were no rules on the sea.

"_Titania_ is charging."

"_Sabertooth_ will take the left flank."

"_Lamia Scale_ will handle the rear."

"_Thunder God_ is in position."

Gray withdrew his sword and lifted it high, a rush of power returning to the battle weary muscles and igniting in his heart. He had a crew to lead. They may all die. Juvia would be caught in the center of it all.

This was a future he knew would catch up to them all someday, his band of misfits and unjust orphans. It was why they fought at all.

"The first ships are appearing." Lyon warned. "What will you do?"

Gray's crew lifted their swords and chanted. Lyon's followed suit.

"No one dies until they've taken twenty lives or I'll drag you back from hell myself! We fight until the ice is drenched in our blood and becomes a field of red instead of white! These are the men who murdered your families, the people who steal from the children of your cities, the ones who hunt you in the hopes of achieving glory! What do we do to those who hurt us?"

"Send them to bottom of the sea!"

Gray glanced toward Lyon. "We give them more hell than their ready for. That's what we do."

* * *

The commotion on deck drew Loke out from the cabin with direct instructions that Juvia stay where she was seated and finish her rum. She hadn't missed the tense way he lifted his sword from the wall or the proud way he marched out the door to do as he was bade. The ship rocked as it lifted anchor and took hold of the wind once more, creaking through the deadly ice fields that were her haven.

Hadn't they already won? The ships previously hidden in the fog were smoldering when she'd been led down the stairwell. Was it possible that Lyon…?

No. She knew better than that. Juvia set the mug of rum down and reached for her sword. She had made a vow, and no one would stop her from protecting what she'd come to love so dearly. They'd all protected her, from the blankets they brought to the dresses they bought to the captain who had taken her to his bed and held her captive and hunted her down in a city of pirates to claim her as his.

Juvia would never sit trapped behind a door while they fought again.

Despite the pain in her body, she pressed through the door and onto the deck.

The chill of the wind stung her eyes, forcing her to blink. The view outside the _Frozen Banshee_ must have been a trick of the light and wind mixing with the water in her eyes. What should have been the azure shimmer of water was instead an inky blackness of ships. Hundreds of them, all heavily armed. They were heading directly toward the mass at a breakneck speed.

To starboard, the _Reitei Vengence_ barreled forward along with them, like sheep to slaughter.

Twisting her fingers about the leather wrap of her sword, Juvia glanced once in Gray's direction. His eyes were narrowed on the sea before him. He didn't know she was out on the deck, not that it would change the outcome. What had she hoped for, one final look before they drowned together in the frozen sea?

Even Gray couldn't quell the pounding in her chest.

"Juvia! I told you to stay—"

Everything happened in quick succession; Loke's voice broke through Juvia's concentration. His face contorted with frustration and then surprise. The barrage of bullets from one of the naval ships gattling guns pounded into the hull of the ship and then the bannisters, slamming into the men on the ship. Gray yelled for them to shift the sails. The ship jerked.

Loke turned to share the direction and shield her. His body twisted from the force of the bullets meant for Juvia, jerking around with the force of each that imbedded itself within his tissue. The life left his eyes long before his body fell at her feet and the sound of the gun died out.

Juvia dropped her sword and tore at her hair. The guns had stopped to soon; the armada before them meant to warn them. It was a message.

Her scream ripped through the roaring in her ears, tore across the deck in peals that shook her to the core. Her family. Her friends. Her love. Everything was going to disappear and she could do nothing about it. They were being toyed with. Loke's prone form stared toward her as a promise of what was to come for all of them. Juvia's vision went black as she screeched toward the heavens.

She didn't feel the rain begin to pour like daggers.

She didn't feel the ship begin to rock back and forth.

Juvia didn't hear the rushing of waves that built from either side of the _Frozen Banshee_ like blankets meant for the stars, tall and frighteningly deadly. She didn't see the icebergs break away and roll along the sea foam into the ships around them.

All Juvia knew was the desperation in her heart to do something, anything, to change this fate. To save what she could. To destroy what meant to destroy her.

* * *

Gray heard Juvia's terrified scream and lost hold of the ship wheel at the same time as the vessel jerked as if he had run directly into one of the icebergs he had maneuvered through so many times before. The ship rocked back and forth as he fought to regain his footing. The crew was in an uproar, and Juvia's screaming had not died out but become more rhymthic and constant. Louder.

Powerful.

When his ship righted, Gray stood to survey the damage around him. The ocean had roared to life, tearing out in all directions from below the_ Frozen Banshee_; it pushed naval ships into each other, flipping and rolling and drowning beneath unforgiving waves. The further they retreated the higher the tsunamis grew, depositing ice mountains onto their decks and ripping through their hulls.

Magic. Someone was producing a magic far more frightening than Minerva's territory or Ultear's time. It didn't take Gray long to realize who it was.

Juvia's voice had not softened. At each banshee-like shriek, the ocean rumbled with whirlpools and forces that sucked ships out of formation and below the surface in gulps. They were pebbles to the water, lost before they could react. Gray forced himself out of awe of her power and toward the stairwell.

He found her heaped into a corner with Loke, covered in blood and glowing with the force of a power she channeled but did not control. It would save them now, but how long would until she forced the same calamity upon them all? Gray knelt to close Loke's eyes then turned his full attention to the screaming woman in front of him.

Gray took hold of her by the arms, and still she screamed. The waves came in rapid succession, and the ship began to creak. She radiated a chill that burned through his hands and hit into the bone.

"Juvia!"


End file.
